waves

• Equation to calculate wave speed: Wave Speed = Frequency x Wavelength

  • Speed (m/s)
  • Frequency (Hz)
  • Wavelength (m)
• Word used to describe when a wave bounces off a surface: Reflection
• Definition of the normal in terms of reflection and refraction: A vertical imaginary line which is perpendicular to the boundary
• What occurs when light is reflected off a boundary: It bounces off a smooth flat surface so that the angle of incidence is the same as the angle of reflection
• Definition of refraction: Refraction is the change in speed of a wave as it reaches a boundary between two media, usually resulting in a change in direction
• What occurs when light is refracted at a boundary:

  • The light changes speed and direction in the new medium
  • If the new medium is more dense, the light will travel slower and bend towards the normal
  • If the new medium is less dense, the light will travel faster and bend away from the normal
• When entering a denser material, light waves slow down and bend towards the normal
• When entering a less dense material, light waves speed up and bend away from the normal
• How refraction can be measured: The angle of incidence, i, and angle of refraction, r, can be measured and compared. All angles are measured relative to the normal
• Effects of absorption of different wavelengths of waves in different mediums:

  • Some materials behave differently depending on the wavelength
  • An example is glass which will transmit visible light, but reflect UV light
• How sound waves travel through a solid: The particles in the solid vibrate and transfer kinetic energy through the material