Physics waves

    Cards (57)

    • Progressive Waves
      1. Waves transfer energy not matter.
      2. Its motion is shown by vibrations of a spring or water waves.
      3. Frequency(hertz) is number of oscillations(vibrations) per second
      4. Frequency = 1/period
      5. Period (measured in seconds)is time taken to compete one oscillation (vibrations) is time taken to compete one oscillation (vibration)
      6. Amplitude largest distance from rest to peak
      7. Distance from 2 adjacent wavefronts
    • Wave speed and phase difference
      1. Wave speed=frequency X wavelength
      2. Phase of wave is expressed in fractions of a cycle or as an angle
      3. Phase of a wave desc how far through a cycle the wave is
      4. Phase difference is a measure of the difference in where 2 waves are in there cycle
      5. Phase difference measured in angles or as a fraction of the wave cycle
      6. Full cycle corresponds to one wavelength
      7. Angles measured in degrees or radians
      8. Radian is the sl unit of measuring angles
      9. Radians are ø/360x 2 pi
      10. Full cycle is represented as 2 pi
    • Transverse and longitude waves
      1. Transverse wave cause particles in the medium (substance wave travels through) to vibrate at right angles to the waves direction of motion
      2. Longitudinal waves cause the mediums particle to vibrate in the same direction as the waves motion.
      3. All electromagnetic waves are transverse and travel at the speed 3x10^8 (the speed of light)in a vacuum
      4. The electric and magnetic fields oscillate perpendicular to the direction of energy propagation(describes the way waves move)
      5. Particles end up in the same position after transverse waves
    • Polarised
      1. Only transverse waves can be polarised
      2. Polarisation can happen at any angle 0-360
      3. Polarised light only vibrates in one plane
      4. Longitudinal waves cannot be polarised
      5. An example of a Polariser is Polaroid material
      6. Polariod sheets are made of long molecule quinine iodosulphate the molecules run up and down the sheet.
      7. when unpolarised light is reflected off a transparent surface the light will become polarised
      8. Polarisation is partial and parallel to the surface
      9. polarisers at right angles let no light through
    • What are stationary waves?

      Physical concepts created when a wave interferes with its reflection
    • How are stationary waves formed?
      They are formed when two progressive waves with the same frequency and wavelength move in opposite directions and interfere with one another
    • What is a key characteristic of stationary waves regarding energy transfer?
      A stationary wave does not transfer energy from one place to another
    • What are nodes in stationary waves?
      Nodes are points on stationary waves that have 0 amplitude and are stationary
    • What are antinodes in stationary waves?
      Antinodes are points on stationary waves with maximum amplitude oscillating from the furthest point upward to the furthest point downwards
    • What is the resonant frequency in stationary waves?
      It is the frequency at which stationary waves occur, with each frequency called a harmonic
    • When does resonant frequency occur in stationary waves?
      Resonant frequency occurs when the distance between the two fixed ends is an integer multiple of half the wavelength
    • What is the first resonant frequency also known as?
      It is known as the first harmonic
    • What does the first harmonic (fundamental) look like in terms of nodes and antinodes?
      • Has 2 nodes
      • Has 1 antinode
    • What is the second harmonic in stationary waves?
      The second harmonic is the second resonant frequency that occurs when the distance between the two fixed ends is exactly one wavelength
    • How does the frequency of the second harmonic compare to the first harmonic?
      The frequency of the second harmonic is 2 times larger than the first harmonic
    • What does the second harmonic look like in terms of nodes and antinodes?
      • Has 3 nodes
      • Has 2 antinodes
    • What is the third harmonic in stationary waves?
      The third harmonic occurs when the distance between the two fixed ends is 1.5 wavelengths
    • How does the frequency of the third harmonic compare to the first harmonic?
      The frequency of the third harmonic is 3 times larger than the first harmonic
    • What does the third harmonic look like in terms of nodes and antinodes?

      • Has 4 nodes
      • Has 3 antinodes
    • Stationary waves 2
      1. Practical on stationary waves investigate frequency, tension and mass change
      2. first harmonic stationary waves has 1 antinode and 2 nodes
      3. Frequency of first harmonic should be given as 1/2l square root t over micro
      4. Longer length=lower frequency as longer the half wavelength must be
      5. Larger mass unit length the lower the resonance frequency
      6. Higher tension =higher frequency as waves travel faster down a string
    • What is the definition of interference in wave physics?
      Interference occurs when two or more waves superpose, resulting in a displacement that is the vector sum of the individual waves' displacements.
    • What is required to create a clear interference pattern?
      A clear interference pattern requires two coherent waves.
    • What defines coherent waves?
      Coherent waves have the same frequency and wavelength and maintain fixed phase relations, usually at 0 degrees.
    • What is the path difference between two waves?
      The path difference is the difference in length traveled by the waves to reach a certain point.
    • What condition leads to constructive interference?
      Constructive interference occurs when the path difference is a multiple of the wavelength, expressed as n×wavelengthn \times \text{wavelength}.
    • What condition leads to destructive interference?
      Destructive interference occurs when the path difference is a whole number plus half a wavelength, expressed as (n+12)×wavelength(n + \frac{1}{2}) \times \text{wavelength}.
    • What does Young's slit experiment demonstrate?
      Young's slit experiment demonstrates interference from two monochromatic, coherent sources.
    • What type of light do lasers produce?
      Lasers produce monochromatic, coherent light.
    • What is required for the slits in Young's experiment?
      The slits must have the same size and be comparable to the wavelength of the laser light to effectively diffract it.
    • Interference 2
      Fridge spacing w= wavelength x distance from slits to the screen is D/ s spacing between splits
      fridge space is small so ensure measurement correct by measuring across lots of fringes widths to find average
      Using white light instead of laser instead of clear bright and dark fringes middle fridge is just bright white light and all fridges spread out. Side fringes have a spec of visible color blue diffracts less than red so is nearer the centre of the screen
      Side fringes have a spec of visible color blue diffracts less than red so is nearer the centre of the screen
    • What is a primary danger associated with high power lasers?
      Eye injury
    • Why is the body aversion reflex insufficient to prevent laser damage to the retina?
      Because it is too slow to react
    • What are the safety measures for using lasers?
      • Do not point laser at the eye
      • Use protective eyewear and clothing
      • Follow internationally agreed signage
      • Adhere to institutional safety requirements
    • Who theorized that light is made up of corpuscles?
      Isaac Newton
    • What theory did Huygens propose regarding light?
      Wavefront theory
    • What experiment provided evidence for Huygens' wavefront principles?
      Young's double slit experiment
    • What did Einstein's photons provide evidence for?
      Support for Newton's corpuscular theory through the photoelectric effect
    • What significant theory began with Einstein's work on photons?
      Quantum theory
    • What did Compton's scattering experiment demonstrate?
      Evidence for the quantization of light
    • In what century did Compton's scattering experiment take place?
      20th century
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