Speed of Waves in Media AKS 9D

AKS 9D Review

Sound

Light

​Sound travels fastest in solids, and slowest in gases.

The closer the atoms in the medium, the FASTER the sound wave will travel.  Takes less time to transfer to surrounding atoms.

Light

​

• A denser medium provides more matter from which the light can scatter, so light will travel more slowly in a dense medium. 

• A slower speed means a higher index of refraction

Multiple Choice

According to the data, which media does light travel fastest through?

• Air because it has the highest refractive index which means it is the most dense. The denser a medium is the faster the light wave will travel.

• Air because it has the lowest refractive index which means it is the least dense. The less dense a medium, the faster the light wave will travel.

• Diamond because it has the lowest refractive index which means it is the least dense, which means the wave will move the fastest.

• Diamond because it has the highest refractive index which means it is the most dense. The denser a medium is the faster the light wave will travel.

Multiple Choice

Which two media does light waves travel the same in?

• Air and Water because it travels at 300,000,000 m/s through these media.

• Water and Perspex because it travels at 230,000,000 m/s through these media.

• Perspex and Glass because it travels at 230,000,000 m/s through the media.

• Glass and Diamond because it travels at 242,000,000 m/s through the media.

Multiple Choice

Light waves travels fastest through the air because air is a gas, which means it is less dense than the other media, which are solids and liquids.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

Light travels slower in the Perspex than in the water because Perspex is more dense than the water, meaning it has more molecules that are attempting the block the light waves from passing through.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Air has more molecules than the glass, therefore, light will travel slower in the air than in the glass.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The speed of light through water is 230,000,000 m/s per second. Refer to the data table to see the speed of a sound wave through water. What conclusion can I draw from the information?

• Waves move at the same speed regardless of the type of wave

• Mechanical waves (sound) move faster than Electromagnetic waves (liquid)

• Electromagnetic waves (light) move faster than Mechanical waves (sound)

• There is not enough data to answer the question

Multiple Choice

Sound does not travel in space because

• Space is too far away.
• There is no matter in space.
• Space is the final frontier
• Space has planets.

Multiple Choice

Sound waves travel the fastest in

• solid

• liquid

• gas

• vacuum of empty space

Multiple Choice

Sound waves travel the slowest in

• solid

• liquid

• gas

• vacuum of empty space

Multiple Choice

Light waves travel the fastest in

• solid

• liquid

• gas

• vacuum of empty space

Multiple Choice

Light waves travel the slowest in

• solid

• liquid

• gas

• vacuum of empty space

Multiple Choice

If a sound waves moves from a solid to a liquid, the sound wave will

• speed up

• slow down

• not change speed

Multiple Choice

If a sound waves moves from a gas to a liquid, the sound wave will

• speed up

• slow down

• not change speed

Multiple Choice

If a light waves moves from a gas to a liquid, the light wave will

• speed up

• slow down

• not change speed

Multiple Choice

If a light waves moves from a solid to a liquid, the light wave will

• speed up

• slow down

• not change speed

Multiple Choice

When comparing sound traveling through the air, I can tell from the chart, it travels faster at 1,127 ft/sec because...

• the temperature is 68 degrees, which means the molecules are able to transfer the waves faster.

• the temperature is 32 degrees, which means the molecules are able to transfer the waves faster.

• the temperature is always the same for air, so the temperature does not make a difference

• air is a gas that is spread out and allows the sound waves to travel through it faster