Properties of Mechanical Waves

What is the law of reflection for waves?

• The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

• The angle of incidence is always greater than the angle of reflection.

• The angle of incidence is half the angle of reflection.

• The angle of incidence and reflection are always 90 degrees.

How does the angle of incidence compare to the angle of reflection?

• The angle of incidence is always greater than the angle of reflection.

• The angle of incidence is always less than the angle of reflection.

• The angle of incidence and angle of reflection are unrelated.

• The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

What happens to a wave when it encounters a boundary between two different media?

• The wave is reflected, refracted, or absorbed.

• The wave creates a new wave in the second medium.

• The wave speeds up and continues unchanged.

• The wave disappears completely.

Define refraction in the context of wave behavior.

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

• Refraction is the scattering of a wave in different directions.

• Refraction is the absorption of a wave by a medium.

• Refraction is the reflection of a wave when it hits a barrier.

What is Snell's Law and how is it used to calculate refraction?

• Snell's Law states that light travels in a straight line without bending.

• Refraction is calculated using the formula n1 + n2 = θ1 + θ2.

• Snell's Law is only applicable to sound waves and not light.

• Snell's Law is used to calculate refraction by the formula n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2).

Describe the phenomenon of wave interference.

• Wave interference occurs only in sound waves, not in light waves.

• Wave interference is the phenomenon where waves cancel each other out without any effect.

• Wave interference is the process of waves traveling in opposite directions.

• Wave interference is the phenomenon where overlapping waves combine to form a new wave pattern, resulting in constructive or destructive interference.

What are constructive and destructive interference?

• Constructive interference decreases wave amplitude; destructive interference increases wave amplitude.

• Constructive interference increases wave amplitude; destructive interference decreases wave amplitude.

• Constructive interference creates sound; destructive interference creates silence.

• Constructive interference has no effect on wave amplitude; destructive interference cancels waves completely.

How does the wavelength of a wave affect its speed in different media?

• Wavelength has no effect on wave speed in any medium.

• The wavelength affects the speed of a wave in different media by changing the wavelength when the speed of the wave changes due to the medium's properties.

• Longer wavelengths always travel faster than shorter wavelengths.

• The speed of a wave is determined solely by its frequency, not its wavelength.

What is the principle of superposition in wave theory?

• The principle of superposition describes the speed of a wave in a medium.

• The principle of superposition in wave theory is that the resultant wave is the sum of the individual overlapping waves.

• The principle of superposition states that waves cannot interfere with each other.

• The principle of superposition indicates that waves can only travel in one direction.

Explain how diffraction occurs when waves pass through an opening.

• Diffraction only occurs with sound waves, not light waves.

• Waves disappear completely when they encounter an opening.

• Waves only travel in straight lines without bending.

• Diffraction occurs when waves spread out and bend around the edges of an opening as they pass through it.