EM Waves
What is an example of an electromagnetic wave?
Light waves, radio waves, microwaves, etc.
What is reflection?
The bouncing back of light waves when they hit a surface.
What are sound waves?
Vibrations that travel through a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) and can be heard when they reach the ear.
What is a mechanical wave?
A wave that requires a medium to travel through.
What is wave frequency?
The number of waves that pass a point in a given period of time.
How do EM waves travel?
EM waves travel through a vacuum at the speed of light.
What is refraction?
The bending of light waves as they pass from one medium to another.
How do sound waves travel through different mediums?
Sound travels fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases due to the density of the medium.
What are the two types of mechanical waves?
Transverse waves and longitudinal waves.
How is wave speed calculated?
Wave speed = frequency × wavelength.
What is the speed of light in a vacuum?
Approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (or 300,000 km/s)
What is the difference between transparent and opaque materials?
Transparent materials allow light to pass through, while opaque materials do not.
What is pitch?
The perceived frequency of a sound; higher frequencies correspond to higher pitches.
What is amplitude?
The maximum distance the points of a wave move from their rest position.
What happens when waves interfere?
Waves can constructively or destructively interfere, leading to increased or decreased amplitude.
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
The range of all types of EM radiation arranged by frequency or wavelength.
How do prisms separate light?
Prisms refract light at different angles, separating it into its component colors.
What is the Doppler effect?
The change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the wave source.
How does energy relate to wave amplitude?
Higher amplitude waves carry more energy.
What is the principle of superposition?
When two or more waves overlap, the resulting wave is the sum of the individual waves.
Describe the use of EM waves in communication.
EM waves are used in broadcasting, mobile communication, and satellite transmission.
Explain how the color of light is determined.
The color of light is determined by its wavelength; different wavelengths correspond to different colors.
Describe how sound waves are used in echolocation.
Animals like bats use sound waves to navigate and locate prey by emitting sounds and interpreting the echoes that return.
Explain how waves can be both longitudinal and transverse.
Transverse waves move perpendicular to the direction of wave travel, while longitudinal waves move parallel.
Describe how resonance affects wave behavior.
Resonance occurs when a system is driven at its natural frequency, leading to increased amplitude of the waves.