Gen Sci - Waves - Practice Test

What is a wave?

A periodic disturbance that transfer energy

What do waves move, Victoria? Matter or energy?

Energy

What is a medium?

The material a wave moves through

What are some examples of mediums?

Solids, Liquids, Gases

Do all waves require a medium to move through?

No

What is a mechanical wave?

A wave that requires a medium

What is a good example of a mechanical wave that moves through solids?

Seismic waves (earthquakes)

What is a good example of a mechanical wave that moves through liquids?

Ocean waves

What is a good example of a mechanical wave that moves through air?

Sound waves

What is an electromagnetic wave?

A wave that does NOT require a medium

What are some examples of electromagnetic waves?

Radio waves, microwaves, light, x-rays

What is a transverse wave?

A wave that move the medium up-and-down or side-to-side and perpendicular to its direction

What is a good example of a transverse wave?

Ocean waves

What is the top of a transverse wave called?

Crest

What is the bottom of a transverse wave called

Trough

What is a longitudinal wave?

A wave that moves that compresses and expands the medium parallel to its direction

What is a good example of a longitudinal wave?

Sound waves

What is the bunched-up part of a longitudinal wave?

Compresion

What is the spread-out part of a longitudinal wave?

Rarefaction

What is a cycle?

One pulse of a wave

What is a wave period?

The time it takes to complete one cycle

What is frequency?

How often the wave cycles go by

What is amplitude?

The maximum height of a wave from rest

What is wavelength?

The distance between corresponding points on neighboring wave pulses (ex. crest to crest)

Which goes with high frequency?

Short wavelength

Which goes with low frequency?

Long wavelength

Which goes with long wavelength?

Low frequency

Which goes with short wavelength?

High frequency

Which is an example of a Big Amplitude?

A loud sound

Which is an example of a Small Amplitude

A short wave at the beach

Which is an example of a Low Frequency?

A sound that has a lot of bass

Which is an example of a High Frequency?

A high squeaky voice

What happens during reflection?

Waves bounces off something

What happens during diffraction?

Waves spread out

What happens during refraction?

Waves enter a new medium at an angle and bend or slightly change direction

What happens during interference?

Waves overlap

What happens during constructive interference?

Waves overlap to produce a larger amplitude

What happens during destructive interference?

Waves overlap to produce a smaller amplitude or totally cancel out

What happens during absorption?

Waves go into a medium and don't come out

What happens during transmission?

Waves go straight through the medium

What happens during scattering?

Waves hit a new medium and spread out in every direction

Which is an example of scattering?

Light strikes a cloud

Which is an example of refraction?

Pencil half in a cup looks bent or disconnected

Which is an example of reflection?

Mirror image, also an echo

Which is an example of diffraction?

You can hear sounds around a corner (they bend around the corner)

Which is an example of transmission?

Light goes straight through a window

Which is an example of absorption?

Light hits a wall and warms it up (but does not come out the other side)