Waves Pre-Assessment

Characteristics of Waves

1 and 2. Draw & label a sine curve.

Crests

Wavelength

amplitude

Trough

Di spl a c e ment

3.

•The highest points on a transverse wave are called crests.

4.

•The lowest points on a transverse wave are called the troughs.

5.

•The greatest distance that particles are displaced from their normal resting positions because of a wave is called the amplitude.

6. Define compression

• Compression is crowded coiled areas on a spring.

Area of compression

7. Define rarefaction

• Stretched out areas on a spring.

Area of rarefaction

8.

•The distance from one crest of a wave to the crest of the next wave is called the wavelength.

9.

• The time required for one full wavelength of a wave to pass a certain point is called the period.

10.

• The frequency of a wave is the number of full wavelengths that pass a point in a given time interval.

11. Write the frequency-period equation.

•Frequency (f) = 1/period or 1/T

•Frequency is measured in Hertz and period is measured in seconds.

12. The full range of light at different frequencies is called the

•EM spectrum .

13. Frequency is measured in the unit of

•HERTZ (Hz)

•Or Cycles/second

14. Wavelength is measured in the unit of

•LENGTH (meter)•It could also be in nm, cm, or mm.

15. Speed =

• Wavelength () / period (T)

• The Greek letter lamda () is the symbol for wavelength

16. Speed =

•Frequency (f) / wavelength ()

•Or f /

17. The symbol for frequency is

•f•What unit is used to measure frequency?

•Hertz (Hz)

18. The symbol for wavelength is

•Typically wavelength is measured in nanometers (nm)

19. Write the wave-speed equation.

• V = f x • V = velocity or speed• f = ?• Frequency= ? • wavelength

20. Sound travels better and faster in

•water

21.

•Sound waves travel faster in solids than in air or water. (air and water can be in either order)

22.

•The speed of a wave depends on the medium.

• A medium is the substance that the wave is traveling in or through.

23.

• In a given medium the speed of the wave remains the same, but the frequency increases and the wavelength decreases.

24.

•Electromagnetic waves (such as visible light)

do NOT need a medium.

25. •The symbol c stands for the speed of light which is known to be equal to

3 x 108 m/s.

26.

• Pitch is determined by frequency at which sound waves strike your ear drum.

• The higher the frequency = higher the pitch

27.

• Doppler effect refers to a body IN MOTION. When the object is coming towards you, the frequency is HIGHER than the frequency when the object is going AWAY . So when the object is moving toward you the sound has a HIGHER pitch (due to higher frequency. *