Characteristics of waves revision http://www.sciwebhop.net/sci_web/physics/gcse/syllabus/qa/characteristics_of_waves_revisio.

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Characteristics of waves
Use these questions to help you revise. Move the mouse over the hidden text in the answer box to see the example answers

Questions Answers
1. What do we call it when sounds bounce back from hard surfaces? echoes
F
2. what is refraction? When rays of light change direction when they cross the boundary between one
F/H transparent substance and another
3. Draw a diagram to show what happens to rays of light when they cross the
F/H boundary between air and glass

air glass
4. Sounds can also be refracted - true or false? TRUE
F/H
5. How do we measure the amplitude of a wave? the maximum disturbance caused by a wave
F/H
6. what do we call the distance between a particular point on a wave and the wavelength
F/H same point on the next?
7. what is frequency? number of waves each second produced by a source
F/H
8. Waves transfer energy from a source to other places with matter being false - no matter is transferred
F/H transferred - true or false?
9. what causes a change in the direction of water waves when they cross the a change in speed
F/H boundary between two different substances?
10. When a ray of light travels from glass, 'Perspex' or water into air, all of the false - some is reflected
F/H wave is refracted - true or false?
11. If the angle between the ray and a normal is greater than a certain angle false - it's REFLECTED inside the glass
F/H (called the critical angle), all of the light is refracted inside the glass, 'Perspex'
or water. This is called total internal reflection - true or false?
12. what is an optical fibre? all the light may stay inside the fibre until it emerges from the other end - light
F/H travels down optical fibres by repeated total internal reflection.
13. describe a use for total internal reflection fibre optic communications, medical exploration - needs a description
F/H

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Characteristics of waves revision http://www.sciwebhop.net/sci_web/physics/gcse/syllabus/qa/characteristics_of_waves_revisio.htm

14. H are sound waves longitudinal or transverse? longitudinal

15. H describe the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves transverse: wave motion is at right angles to the movement of the wave particles -
longitudinal: wave motion is along the same line as the motion of the wave particles
16. H light waves can travel throught a vacuum - true or false? TRUE
17. H light waves are longitudinal - true or false? false - transverse
18. H wave speed is related to frequency and wavelength by an equation - what is it? wave speed = frequency x wavelength
19. H what is diffraction? When a wave moves through a gap, or past an obstacle, it spreads out from the
edges
20. H can electromagnetic waves and sound waves be diffracted? yes - both of them - which is good eveidence that they travel as waves
21. H give an example of the diffraction of sound: sounds can sometimes be heard in the shadow of buildings; radio signals can
sometimes be received in the shadow of hills

22. H The extent of this diffraction depends upon the wavelength of the waves - true TRUE
or false?

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