Introduction to Waves

Jenny is trying to describe a wave. Which example would be the best description?

a toy car rear-ending a toy car that then rear-ends another toy car

A ____________ is any disturbance that carries energy from one place to another.

Wave

Natalia is studying a wave produced in her magnetics lab. This wave can move through the empty space in a vacuum and carries a lot of energy. What wave is Natalia most likely studying?

a gamma ray

What do sound waves and infrared waves have in common, and what makes them different?

Both carry energy through space, but sound waves require matter to pass through and infrared waves do not.

Brody and Ethel are arguing about waves. Brody says that waving his hand back and forth is a scientific wave. Ethel says that it is not. Which statement best describes who is correct?

Ethel is correct because energy is not carried from one place to another.

Khalad is measuring the amplitude of a wave. What can be known about this wave?

It is a transverse wave.

Which statements apply to transverse waves? Check all that apply.

NOT -The energy is transferred perpendicular to the direction of the wave motion. -Particles travel the length of the wave, moving in an up-and-down motion.

What is the motion of the particles in this kind of wave?

NOT The particles will move up and down over large areas.

Atomic bombs send out a shock wave when they are detonated. This occurs because the bomb's detonation superheats the air particles nearby, which cause them to bump into other air particles that further the wave. Which statement can most likely be made about the shock waves of atomic bombs?

NOT: They are an electromagnetic waves.

Which kind of wave would be observed in outer space between planets, where there is very little matter?

an electromagnetic wave, such as an x-ray