Waves Vocabulary
The maximum distance from the still point to the top of the crest and the amount of energy carried by a wave is the
The ends of a magnet where the magnetic field is the strongest.
What are poles?
What happens to the amplitude of a wave if the energy of the wave increases?
What is the amplitude increases?
This type of charged particle moves through a conductor to create an electric current.
What is an electron?
This type of electromagnetic wave has the longest wavelength and is used for communication.
What is a radio wave?
The distance between two consecutive crests or troughs in a wave is called this.
Wavelength
The flow of electric charge through a conductor is known as this.
What is current?
If the frequency of a wave increases while its speed remains the same, what happens to its wavelength?
What is the frequency decreases?
A scientist increases the number of coils in a wire wrapped around an iron core and connects it to a power source. What will likely happen to the strength of the magnetic field?
What is the strength of the magnetic field will increase?
This type of electromagnetic radiation allows humans to see objects.
What is visible light?
This is a wave that vibrates perpendicular to the propagation (direction of energy transfer).
What is a transverse wave?
This type of material allows electric charges to flow easily, while its opposite, an insulator, does not.
What is a conductor?
A sound wave travels through air, water, and steel. In which medium does it travel the fastest, and why?
What is steel, because sound waves travel faster in denser solids than in liquids or gases?
A strip of electrically charged tape is hanging from a table. A plastic comb is rubbed against a wool sweater, picking up electrons and becoming negatively charged. What would indicate that the hanging tape is also negatively charged?
The tape will comb will repel the tape.
Explain why objects appear a certain color when illuminated by white light.
What is objects absorb some wavelengths of light and reflect others, so we see the reflected color?
A wave that vibrates parallel to the transfer of energy is a(n)
What is a Longitudinal Wave?
A student wraps a wire around a nail and connects the ends to a battery. The nail becomes magnetized. What is this device called?
What is an electromagnet?
Between water, glass, and diamond, which would cause light to slow down the most when passing through it and why?
Diamond has the highest optical density, causing light to travel the slowest.
If a bar magnet is cut in half, what happens to the ends of the two halves?
The two new halves will each have a north and south polel.
A student shines a flashlight through a prism and observes a rainbow of colors. This process occurs because light waves do this when they pass through different materials.
What is refraction?
This type of wave requires a medium to travel through and includes sound waves.
What is a mechanical wave?
The unit of electric current, named after a French physicist, is this.
What is ampere?
A microwave oven and a radio both use electromagnetic waves to transmit energy. Explain their difference from sound waves.
Electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum, while mechanical waves need a medium
Explain how a compass is used to generate an electric or magnetic force
The direction compass needle is pushed around by the magnetic field of the earth.
Explain why gamma rays are more dangerous to humans than visible light.
What is gamma rays have higher energy and shorter wavelengths, allowing them to penetrate cells and cause damage?