Wave Interactions

Front

What are mechanical waves?

Back

Mechanical waves are waves that require a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to travel through. Examples include sound waves and water waves.

Front

What is refraction?

Back

Refraction is the bending of waves as they pass from one medium to another due to a change in speed.

Front

What is resonance?

Back

Resonance is the increase in the amplitude of a vibration that occurs when external vibrations match an object's natural frequency.

Front

What is the difference between regular reflection and diffuse reflection?

Back

Regular reflection occurs on smooth surfaces and produces a clear image, while diffuse reflection occurs on rough surfaces and scatters light, resulting in no clear image.

Front

What is absorption in the context of waves?

Back

Absorption is the process by which a wave's energy is taken up by a material, converting it into other forms of energy, such as heat.

Front

What is diffraction?

Back

Diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles and the spreading out of waves when they pass through small openings.

Front

What is the principle of superposition?

Back

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

Front

What is a wave's amplitude?

Back

Amplitude is the maximum displacement of points on a wave from its rest position, indicating the wave's energy.

Front

What is the speed of a wave?

Back

The speed of a wave is the distance traveled by a wave in a given amount of time, calculated as speed = wavelength × frequency.

Front

What is the wavelength of a wave?

Back

Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive points that are in phase on a wave, such as crest to crest or trough to trough.