Waves Basics
Which term describes the movement of energy through a medium or space?
A wave.
What type of mechanical wave is a sound wave classified as?
Longitudinal wave.
What type of wave is light classified as
Electromagnetic wave.
When two waves overlap and combine, what type of interaction occurs?
Interference
Which type of electromagnetic waves are used in cell phone communication?
Radio waves.
Which two types of waves classify all waves based on motion?
Mechanical and electromagnetic
In which type of medium does sound travel fastest—solids, liquids, or gases?
Solids
What happens to light when it bounces off a smooth surface?
Reflection
What happens in constructive interference?
Two waves combine to create a larger wave.
What part of the human ear detects vibrations and converts them into signals?
Eardrum
What is the name for the highest point of a transverse wave?
Crest
Which wave property directly affects the pitch of a sound?
Frequency
When light enters a denser medium at an angle, what happens to its speed and direction?
Light slows down and bends towards the normal (refraction).
If a wave's energy is transferred to a medium instead of passing through, what occurs?
Absorption
Why is the sky blue?
Shorter wavelengths of light, like blue and violet, are scattered more effectively than longer wavelengths like red and orange.
What unit is used to measure wave frequency
Hertz
How does the Doppler Effect explain the change in pitch of a moving sound source?
As a sound source moves toward an observer, the waves are compressed, increasing frequency and raising pitch. As it moves away, the waves spread out, decreasing frequency and lowering pitch
Which color of visible light has the longest wavelength?
Red
Why does a red apple look red?
It reflects red light and absorbs all other colors.
Why do we see a flash of lightning before we hear the sound of thunder?
Light travels faster than sound.
What is the term for the distance between two consecutive crests or troughs of a wave?
Wavelength
Why is sound unable to travel through the vacuum of space
Sound needs a medium (such as air, liquid, or solid) to travel, and space lacks a medium.
What is the approximate speed of light in a vacuum, in meters per second
300,000,000 m/s or 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s.
What is the difference between white light and black light?
White is all the colors being reflected, black is all the colors being absorbed
What is the name of the technology that uses sound waves to map objects underwater?
Sonar