Waves/Optics

Question 1

What is a wave?

Answer 1

a disturbance that travels through matter or space (a vacuum)

Question 2

What is a medium?

Answer 2

the matter through which the wave travels

Question 3

What are the types of waves?

Answer 3

• transverse

- compressional (longitudinal)

Question 4

What is a transverse wave?

Answer 4

• a wave where the direction of the disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of the wave
• can travel through a medium or vacuum
• example - light

Question 5

What is a compressional wave?

Answer 5

• direction of the wave is parallel to the direction of the disturbance
• can only travel through a medium
• does not travel through a vacuum
• example - sound waves

Question 6

What are the parts of a wave?

Answer 6

1 - wavelength
2 - crest
3 - trough
4 - amplitude
5 - mid-point

Question 7

What is the wavelength?

Answer 7

the distance between 2 consecutive waves, usually measured crest to crest

Question 8

What is the amplitude?

Answer 8

the height of a wave (measured from the mid-point to the crest)

Question 9

What is the crest?

Answer 9

the highest point in a wave

Question 10

What is a trough?

Answer 10

lowest point of a wave

Question 11

What is wave frequency?

Answer 11

• number of waves that pass a point in one second
• measured in Hertz (Hz)
• high frequency - low wavelength
• low frequency - large wavelength

Question 12

What is the formula for wave speed?

Answer 12

wave speed = wavelength x frequency