Wave Basics
What do waves transfer?
Energy
What type of wave has compressions and rarefactions? (PS.6.a.4)
Longitudinal wave
What property of a sound wave corresponds to loudness? (PS.6.b.4)
Amplitude
What is the law of reflection? (PS.7.a.3)
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
Which electromagnetic wave has the longest wavelength? (PS.7.b.1)
Radio waves
How are frequency and wavelength related? (PS.6.a.2)
As frequency increases, wavelength decreases (inverse relationship).
What type of wave has crests and troughs? (PS.6.a.5)
Transverse wave
What material allows sound to travel the fastest: solid, liquid, or gas? (PS.6.b.3)
Solid
What type of image does a plane mirror form? (PS.7.a.4)
A virtual image that is upright and the same size as the object.
What is an everyday use of microwaves? (PS.7.b.2)
Cooking food (microwaves), cell phone communication
How does amplitude affect wave energy? (PS.6.a.3)
Greater amplitude means more energy carried by the wave.
Compare longitudinal and transverse waves. (PS.6.a.6)
Longitudinal: particles move parallel to wave motion; Transverse: particles move perpendicular to wav
Name a factor that affects the speed of sound. (PS.6.b.3)
Medium (material), temperature, density
What happens to light when it passes from air into water? (PS.7.a.7)
It refracts (bends).
Which type of electromagnetic wave has the highest frequency? (PS.7.b.1)
Gamma rays
What happens when a wave is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted? (PS.6.b.1)
Reflection: bounces back; Absorption: wave energy is taken in; Transmission: wave passes through.
Draw and label a transverse wave. (PS.6.a.5)
Should include crest (top), trough (bottom), wavelength (distance between crests), amplitude (height from rest).
How does the length of a wire affect the pitch it produces? (PS.6.b.5)
Shorter wires produce a higher pitch.
How do concave lenses affect light? (PS.7.a.6)
They spread out (diverge) light rays.
What is an example of using infrared waves in everyday life? (PS.7.b.2)
Remote controls, night vision goggles
What are examples of interference and resonance? (PS.6.c.1)
Interference: when waves overlap (constructive or destructive); Resonance: when an object vibrates at its natural frequency.
Describe diffraction of a wave. (PS.6.a.7)
Bending or spreading out of waves as they pass around a barrier or through an opening.
Design a sound experiment to measure pitch changes. (PS.6.b.2)
(Example) Stretch different lengths of string, pluck them, and record pitch differences.
What types of mirrors form real vs virtual images? (PS.7.a.4)
Concave mirrors can form real or virtual images; convex and plane mirrors form only virtual images.
How does energy change across the electromagnetic spectrum? (PS.7.b.1)
Energy increases as wavelength decreases and frequency increases.