Mechanical and Electromagnetic Waves

Front

What are mechanical waves?

Back

Mechanical waves are waves that require a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to travel through.

Front

What are electromagnetic waves?

Back

Electromagnetic waves are waves that can travel through a vacuum and do not require a medium.

Front

How do mechanical and electromagnetic waves differ in terms of medium?

Back

Mechanical waves require a medium to travel, while electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum.

Front

What is amplitude in a wave?

Back

Amplitude is the maximum distance a wave moves from its rest position, often represented by the height of the wave.

Front

What is wavelength?

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.

Front

What is frequency?

Back

Frequency is the number of waves that pass a given point in one second, measured in Hertz (Hz).

Front

What is the speed of a wave?

Back

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

Front

What are radio waves?

Back

Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic wave with long wavelengths, used for communication.

Front

What are microwaves?

Back

Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with shorter wavelengths than radio waves, used in cooking and communication.

Front

What are X-rays?

Back

X-rays are high-energy electromagnetic waves used in medical imaging.