Vocabulary
A wiggle in both space and time.
Wave
A wave has a wavelength of 2 meters and a period of 0.5 seconds. What is its speed?
4 m/s
The vibrations of a transverse wave move in a direction
At right angles to the direction of wave travel.
What causes tides?
The moon's gravity
Is light a wave, particle, or both?
Both
The time required for a vibration or a wave to make a complete cycle; equal to 1/frequency.
Period
A wave with a frequency of 20 Hz travels at a speed of 10 m/s. What is the wavelength of the wave?
0.5 m
In what direction are the vibrations in a longitudinal wave relative to the direction of wave travel?
In the same direction
How do tides change throughout the day and night?
The Earth's rotation
What happens when two waves of different amplitude or frequency interfere?
Interference
For a wave or vibration, the maximum displacement on either side of the equilibrium (midpoint) position.
Radio waves travel at the speed of light, 300,000 km/s. The wavelength of a radio wave received at 100 MHz is
3.0 m.
What is an example of a longitudinal wave?
Sound
How many high tides and low tides occur in a day?
2
Why can light waves travel in a vacuum?
They are electromagnetic waves
A wave in which the medium vibrates perpendicular (at right angles) to the direction in which the wave travels. Light consists of this wave.
A string with a length of 1 meter is fixed at both ends. What is the resulting wavelength of the standing wave?
2 meters
Compressions and rarefactions are characteristic of
Longitudinal Waves
When do the highest high tides occur: during a spring tide or during a neap tide?
Spring tide
How many beats per minute will a guitar player hear if one string vibrates at 550 Hz and the other at 555 Hz?
300 bpm
A region of lessened pressure in the medium through which a longitudinal wave travels.
Rarefaction
Two waves with the same wavelength and amplitude meet in phase. What is the resulting amplitude?
Twice the original amplitude
In what direction do compressed regions and rarefied regions of a longitudinal wave travel?
The travel parallel to the direction of wave motion.
Why are all tides highest at the time of a full or new Moon?
The Sun, Earth, and Moon are in a line at these times so that tides from the Moon and Sun add up.
Does sound travel faster in warmer or colder air?
Warmer