Waves in Air, Fluids and Solids

• What are two types of waves?

  Transverse

  Longitudinal
• What is a transverse wave?

  When oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
• What is a longitudinal wave?

  A longitudinal wave is a wave which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.
• Give two examples of transverse waves.

  Electromagnetic waves

  Seismic waves 
• Give two examples of longitudinal waves.

  Sound waves

  Seismic p-waves  
• What are two parts of a longituidinal wave?

  Compressions and rarefractions.

  
• What is a wave's amplitude?

  The maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position.
• What is wave length?

  The distance from a point on a wave to the same position on the adjacent wave

  Most commonly peak to peak or trough to trough  
• What is the frequency of a wave?

  The number of waves that pass a given point each second. 
• What is the unit used for frequency?

  Hertz, Hz
• What is meant by a frequency of 200Hz?

  200 waves pass a given point each second. 
• What is wave speed? 

  The speed at which the wave moves or at which energy is transferred through a medium. 
• What does a wave transfer?  

  Energy
• State the equation used to calculate wave speed.  

  Wave Speed (m/s) = Frequency (Hz) × Wavelength (m) 
• What word is used to describe when a wave bounces off a surface? 

  Reflection.
• How do sound waves travel through a solid?    


  The particles in the solid vibrate and transfer kinetic energy through the material. 
• What is the frequency range of human hearing?

  20 Hz - 20 kHz

  (1kHz = 1000Hz)
• What are ultrasound waves?

  Waves which have a frequency higher than the upper limit of human hearing.
• Give examples of uses of ultrasound waves?

  Medical or industrial imaging
• State the difference between mediums that P-waves and S-waves can travel through.  

  P-waves travel through solids and liquids

  S-waves only travel through solids