waves test study guide

Question 1

amplitude

Answer 1

• maximum distance away from the rest position (equilibrium).
• equilibrium position to the crest or equilibrium position to the trough

Question 2

compression

Answer 2

as a vibrating object swings forward, it creates a compression in the medium that moves outward.

Question 3

rare fraction

Answer 3

when the vibrating object swings backwards, the air molecules are spread out. they can be drawn as troughs from a transverse wave

Question 4

doppler effect

Answer 4

the doppler effect is the change in frequency of a wave (or other periodic event) for an observer moving relative to the wave source. the wavelength in the back of the sound’s source increases while the frequency decreases, and the opposite is true as well.

Question 5

medium

Answer 5

• mechanical waves are waves that travel through matter.
• As energy moves through the medium in the form of a wave, the particles in the medium vibrate around their rest position.
• sound waves need a medium in order to travel through.

Question 6

pitch

Answer 6

the term that describes a high or low sound

Question 7

frequency

Answer 7

defined as the number of vibrations a wave makes per second.

Question 8

longitudinal

Answer 8

waves that vibrate the medium parallel to the direction of the wave

Question 9

refraction

Answer 9

refractions are the change in the direction of a wave due to a change in the transmission medium
ex: pencil in water

Question 10

pulse

Answer 10

a single disturbance that moves outward.

Question 11

transverse

Answer 11

transverse mechanical waves vibrate at a right angle to the direction that the wave moves.

Question 12

reflection

Answer 12

when a wave strikes a boundary or an obstacle and bounces back towards the source, the wave and the energy it transports is reflected

Question 13

period

Answer 13

• the time it takes for one vibration or one full wavelength to occur.
• period and frequency are inversely related to each other.

Question 14

diffraction

Answer 14

the apparent bending of waves around small obstacles and the spreading out of waves past small openings

Question 15

transmission

Answer 15

when waves hit a boundary, not all of it is reflected. some of the wave goes through the new material.

Question 16

interference (constructive interference and destructive interference)

Answer 16

• constructive: waves that line up to each other are considered in phase. these waves will add up in amplitude to reinforce each other and they get bigger.
• destructive: waves that are out of phase (do not line up) with each other will cancel out their amplitudes and they get smaller.

Question 17

wavelength

Answer 17

is defined as the distance it takes a wave to complete one up and down motion/vibration.