Wave Basics
What is a wave?
A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another.
What is a mechanical wave?
A wave that needs a medium to travel.
What is amplitude?
The measure of how far particles move from their rest position.
Name one example of an EM wave.
Radio waves, visible light, X-rays, or microwaves.
What is the formula for frequency?
Frequency = 1 / period or Frequency = number of cycles / time.
What is the material a wave travels through?
A medium
What is an example of a mechanical wave?
Ocean waves / seismic waves / sound wave
What is wavelength?
The distance between two corresponding points on consecutive waves.
Name two lower-frequency EM waves.
Microwaves and radio waves.
What is the formula for wave speed using wavelength and frequency?
Wave Speed = Frequency × Wavelength
What are the highest and lowest points of a wave called?
Crest (highest) and Trough (lowest).
What is a transverse wave?
A wave where particles move perpendicular to the wave direction.
What is frequency?
The number of wave cycles per second
Which EM waves have the highest frequency?
Gamma rays and X-rays
How does amplitude affect energy transfer?
Greater amplitude means greater energy transfer.
What type of waves do not need a medium to travel?
Electromagnetic waves
What is a longitudinal wave?
A wave where particles move back and forth in the same direction as the wave.
What is the unit of frequency?
Hertz (Hz), which is equal to one cycle per second.
What is an effect of high-frequency EM waves on human tissue?
They can damage human tissue
What is the relationship between wave speed and wave period?
Wave Speed = Wavelength / Wave Period.
What type of wave moves perpendicular to the direction of travel?
Transverse waves
How do particles move in a longitudinal wave?
They move in a back-and-forth motion in the direction of the wave.
What is wave period?
The time required for one complete wave cycle.
How fast does light travel?
300 million meters per second
If a wave has a frequency of 10 Hz and a wavelength of 2 meters, what is its speed?
20 meters per second (Wave Speed = 10 Hz × 2 m).