Sound Waves
Why does sound travel faster in solids than in gases?
Particles are closer together
How can you tell a wave is transverse by observing its motion?
Motion is perpendicular to energy travel
How does wavelength change if frequency increases in the same medium?
Wavelength decreases
Why do waves move at different speeds in different materials?
Particle spacing changes
How does increasing amplitude affect the energy of a wave?
Energy increases
How is the motion of particles different in a sound wave compared to a light wave?
Sound particles move back and forth; light does not use particles
What evidence shows sound waves are longitudinal?
They have compressions and rarefactions
Why does amplitude not affect wave speed in a constant medium?
Speed depends on the medium it is traveling through
How does density affect sound speed in solids and liquids?
Higher density usually increases speed
Why does a wave with shorter wavelength often carry more energy?
Energy is more concentrated
Why is sound louder near the source than farther away?
Energy spreads out as it travels
How does particle motion differ between transverse and longitudinal waves?
Up/down vs back/forth
Which wave has more energy: high amplitude or low amplitude? Why?
High amplitude, more energy
Predict how sound speed would change in a denser solid.
It would increase
Explain why louder sounds do not always travel farther.
Energy spreads and dissipates
How does increasing amplitude change what we hear?
It makes the sound louder
A wave is moving energy to the right. The particles of the medium move up and down. What type of wave is this, and how do you know?
Transverse wave, because particle motion is perpendicular to energy movement.
How can two waves have the same speed but different wavelengths?
They have different frequencies
Which state of matter allows sound to travel fastest and why?
Solids, particles are closest
How does wave energy change as distance from the source increases?
It decreases
Explain why sound cannot exist in outer space, even if an object is vibrating.
No medium is present to carry vibrations
Why is light classified as an electromagnetic wave instead of a mechanical wave?
It does not need a medium
If a wave’s wavelength doubles, what must happen to its frequency?
Frequency is cut in half
Why does light slow down when entering glass from air?
Particles interact with light
Refraction
Two waves have the same speed and amplitude but different wavelengths. Which wave has higher frequency, and how do you know?
The wave with the shorter wavelength has higher frequency.
If air temperature increases, how would sound speed change and why?
Speed increases because particles move faster
Explain how energy moves through a wave without moving matter forward.
Energy transfers through vibrations
Explain how wavelength and frequency are mathematically related.
They are inversely related
Explain why wave speed changes when a wave enters a new medium but frequency does not.
Frequency stays constant at the source
Use wave properties to explain why earthquakes can be detected far away.
Large amplitude transfers energy long distances