Behaviors of Waves

Front

What is a wave?

Back

A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without transferring matter.

Front

What are the two main types of waves?

Back

The two main types of waves are mechanical waves (which require a medium, like sound waves) and electromagnetic waves (which do not require a medium, like light waves).

Front

What is the speed of light in a vacuum?

Back

The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (or about 300,000 kilometers per second).

Front

What is refraction?

Back

Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another due to a change in its speed.

Front

What is reflection?

Back

Reflection is the bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface that does not absorb the wave's energy.

Front

What is the difference between frequency and wavelength?

Back

Frequency is the number of waves that pass a point in one second, while wavelength is the distance between two consecutive crests or troughs of a wave.

Front

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

Back

The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Front

What is the principle of superposition?

Back

The principle of superposition states that when two or more waves overlap, the resulting wave is the sum of the individual waves.

Front

What is sound?

Back

Sound is a mechanical wave that is produced by vibrating objects and travels through a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) as a series of compressions and rarefactions.

Front

What is the Doppler effect?

Back

The Doppler effect is the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the wave source.