waves unit vocab

electromagnetic waves

A propagating wave in space with electric and magnetic components. These components oscillate at right angles to each other. It may travel in a vacuum

If the two waves shown in the diagram were to combine. What is the smallest wave they can produce?

A wave with an amplitude of 1.

Mr. and Mrs. Tew attended this summer band concert to hear their son play his violin. They sat in the back row. They noticed that during the concert, the music seemed to changed in volume; sometimes it was very loud and other times they could barely hear it. They finally got up and moved to the fourth row, directly in front of the band. The problem seemed to lessen. What might have caused this change in volume during the band concert?

Constructive and destructive interference of sound waves.

radiation

Heat transfer by electromagnetic waves

Electromagnetic and mechanical waves have different characteristics that make them advantageous for certain applications. Select the reasons that mechanical waves, such as ultrasound, are used for soft tissue imaging and to identify fractures in metals. I) mechanical waves are less likely to damage materials than most electromagnetic waves. II) mechanical waves have more energy than electromagnetic waves III) mechanical waves can transmit results more rapidly than electromagnetic waves IV) mechanical waves generate vibrations that are sensitive to changes in temperature and density

I and IV

Which is the best description of the light paths necessary to see an object?

Light must travel one path from the object to the source, and another path from the source to the eye.

Convex lens

Rays of light that pass through the lens are brought closer together (they converge).

Concave lens

Rays of light that pass through the lens are spread out (they diverge)

Mr. and Mrs. Tew attended this summer band concert to her their son play his violin. When they sat down in their seats, they noticed that there were dead moments. That is, places in the music when they could not hear anything! They decided to move and sit directly in front of the band in the third row. How can you explain the dead spots they experienced?

Some sound waves cancelled each other out.

On a cool, still autumn morning, Carol noticed that she could see the exact image of the trees surrounding the pond. She could even distinguish between the red and yellow leaves on the trees while she looked into the pond at the trees' mirror images. How did the pond provide Carol with these exact color images?

The different colored leaves reflected different wavelengths which Carol saw reflected from the pond.

The frequency of light emitted from a source is changed. What visible evidence would indicate this?

The light source would change color.

A remote control only works when it is pointed at the television. What is the best explanation for this?

The remote control transmits information through waves, such as infrared waves, to the television.

Which of these would be the most reliable method for transmitting waves for communication?

The use of fiber optics to transmit a digital signal.

All of the following devices transmit energy/information: cell phones, walkie talkies, remote controls, and sunlight. Which statement is true regarding these transmissions?

They are all radiation.

Two mechanical waves intersect and produce the straight line seen here. What must be true about the amplitude of both waves?

They are equal and opposite

Two mechanical waves intersect and produce the straight line seen here. What must be true about the amplitude of both waves?

They are equal and opposite.

fiber optics

This is a technology that can be used as a medium for telecommunication and computer networking because of the use of flexible, very thin glass or plastic fibers. These flexible fibers can be bundled as cables. It is especially advantageous for long-distance communications, because light propagates through the fiber without loss of intensity as compared to electrical cables

radio waves

This is a type of electromagnetic wave used for communications and Astronomy

technology

This is the use of scientific tools to help make things easier and better

Focal length

a measure of how strongly an optical system converges or diverges light

Transverse waves

a moving wave that consists of oscillations occurring perpendicular (or right angled) to the direction of energy transfer.

Wave

a periodic disturbance of the particles of a substance that may be propagated without net movement of the particles, such as in the passage of undulating motion, heat, or sound.

Lens

a piece of glass or other transparent substance with curved sides for concentrating or dispersing light rays, used singly (as in a magnifying glass) or with other lenses (as in a telescope).

Ultraviolet waves

an electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 400 nm (750 THz) to 10 nm (30 PHz), shorter than that of visible light but longer than X-rays.

Light ray

an idealized model of light, obtained by choosing a line that is perpendicular to the wavefronts of the actual light, and that points in the direction of energy flow.

Reflecting telescope

an optical telescope which uses a single or combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image.

If you put a pencil in a cup of water, it looks as if it is broken and larger in the water. This is because light waves

bend when passing from air to water.

If all the light waves are absorbed by an object then the object will appear

black

Computers, televisions, and telephones are just a few devices that make up the various pieces of our everyday electronic communities. These devices communicate with each other using a variety of wires, cables, radio signals, and infrared light beams. What is the wireless technology standard used to exchange data over very short distances connecting cellular phones, computers, and other electronic devices together?

bluetooth

Digital wireless sensor telemetry technology now provides senders with information on the agriculture products en route, including its destination, the speed at which it is moving, and the temperature of its environment. How does this improve the quality of agriculture product received by the consumer?

condition of the products and the progress of the delivery

Infrared waves

electromagnetic radiation of a particular wavelength or color that we have named 'infrared.'

It is recommended that children have no more than two sets of dental X-rays per year. Although X-rays have many benefits, they can be dangerous to human health because they are

high frequency, high energy waves.

When tuning a guitar, a musician plays two strings at once. These sound waves overlap and often appear to get louder and softer if the strings are not in tune. This interaction of overlapping waves is called

interference

Fiber optic cables are often used to transmit information such as telephone calls over long distances. These cables use _____ instead of electricity to carry the information.

light

With the advent of wireless technology humans have increased their ability to communicate, share knowledge, and experiences. What describes the use of wireless devices while moving around a wide geographic area?

mobile wireless

Refracting telescope

optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric telescope).

Reverberation

prolongation of a sound; resonance

The iris, the colored part of the eye, regulates the size of the __________, the opening that controls the amount of light that enters the eye.

pupil

The term wireless refers to a variety of technologies and devices, such as smartphones, computers, printers, headphones, and speakers. A wireless network uses _______________ waves to transmit signals

radio

Wireless Internet is a way to send and receive Internet data over relatively short distances with low-power transmitters. What type of waves are transmitted for wifi?

radio

If white light falls on a piece of white paper in a dark room, the paper appears white to the eye. This is because the paper reflects all the colors of light that fall on it. What color would the paper appear to be if red light falls on it?

red

A full moon appears white to us on Earth because it

reflects the light from the sun.

When light hits a smooth, shiny surface, the light

reflects.

Law of reflection

states that the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal to the surface of the mirror all lie in the same plane.

Electromagnetic spectrum

the collective term for all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation.

Wavelength

the distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave.

Refraction

the fact or phenomenon of light, radio waves, etc., being deflected in passing obliquely through the interface between one medium and another or through a medium of varying density.

Medium

the intervening substance through which impressions are conveyed to the senses or a force acts on objects at a distance

Intensity

the measurable amount of a property, such as force, brightness, or a magnetic field.

Focal point

the point at which rays or waves meet after reflection or refraction, or the point from which diverging rays or waves appear to proceed.

Diffraction

the process by which a beam of light or other system of waves is spread out as a result of passing through a narrow aperture or across an edge, typically accompanied by interference between the waveforms produced.

Pitch

the quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone

Frequency

the rate at which a vibration occurs that constitutes a wave, either in a material (as in sound waves), or in an electromagnetic field (as in radio waves and light), usually measured per second

Compressional wave

they produce compression and rarefaction when traveling through a medium.

If your shirt is dyed so that it looks violet, what color of light is reflected by the dye?

violet

Sunlight is slowed MOST when traveling through

water

When we see colors, it is because light is reflected off objects back to our eyes. Different colors are due to the different _____________ of the light.

wavelengths

Electromagnetic waves

waves which are generated by coupling of magnetic field with electric field.

Assume the light wave directed at the paper is white light and the paper reflects the wavelengths of red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet. What color will the paper appear to human eyes?

white