Waves Study Guide

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Waves Study Guide
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1. What does a wave carry?

• ENERGY

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2. How do waves transfer energy without carrying
matter?

• The particles in the medium vibrate and bump in
  to each other and pass energy from molecule to
  molecule.

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3. What is a mechanical wave?

• A type of wave that requires a medium to travel
  through.

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4. What is necessary for a wave to travel
through?

• A Medium

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5. How do sound waves travel through air?

• Sound waves cause molecules to collide into other
  molecules forming multiple compressions.

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6. What would happen to the sound if there was
no air to travel through?

• Sound waves wouldnt travel no sound!

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7. What are two types of transverse waves?

• Radio waves, Light waves, Xrays, Microwaves
• (all of the electromagnetic waves are transverse
  wave!)

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8. Draw and label a transverse wave below

• CREST
• WAVELENGTH
• TROUGH AMPLITUDE

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9. Give an example of a compressional wave.

• Sound waves

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10. What is an electromagnetic wave?

• Waves that do NOT need a medium to travel
  through. These are very USEFUL wave such as
• radio waves, light waves, xrays, microwaves

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11. How are electromagnetic waves different from
mechanical waves?

• Electromagnetic waves do NOT need a medium to
  travel through.

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12. What is the amplitude of a wave?

• The height of a wave from the resting position to
  the top of the crest or bottom of the trough
  (negative amplitude).

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13. Describe the amplitude of a wave that is
carrying a great amount of energy.

• The more energy a wave carries, the greater the
  amplitude will be. (think about tsunamis!)

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14. What is wavelength?

• From the top of one crest to the top of the next
  crest. Or, from the bottom of one trough to the
  bottom of the next trough.

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15. How are wavelengths and frequency of a wave
related?

• Larger frequencies have shorter wavelengths and
  smaller frequencies have longer wavelengths.

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16. What determines the pitch of a sound?

• The frequency or wavelength- higher frequencies
  have higher pitches and lower frequencies have
  lower pitches.

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17. Through which type of medium do mechanical
waves travel the fastest?

• MECHANICAL waves travel fastest through solids,
  then liquids, then gases. (Electromagnetic waves
  dont follow this pattern!)

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18. What is reflection?

• Reflection occurs when waves bounce off of a
  surface.

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19. Give an example of how we use reflection in
our everyday lives?

• You see your reflection in the mirror because
  light waves are reflected.

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20. What is refraction?

• Refraction is the bending of waves that occurs
  when passing through different media.

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21. What causes refraction?

• Refraction occurs when the speed of the wave
  changes as it passes from one medium to another.
  

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22. How are refraction and wave speed related?

• Refraction is determined by the change in the
  speed of a wave.

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23. What is diffraction?

• Diffraction occurs when waves bend around a
  barrier.

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24. What happens when waves meet?

• Interference waves will overlap and be added
  together.

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25. How can wave interference be used to benefit
people?

• Pilots of small planes wear headphones that
  produce waves with a frequency that when it
  overlaps the sound of the engines, interference
  occurs and he doesnt hear the noise of the
  engine.