Physics Waves Quiz

The bouncing back of a wave when it encounters a boundary or obstacle.

A series of straight lines that represent the crests of a wave.

A straight line perpendicular to the wavefronts, showing the direction of wave travel.

A tool used to study wave behavior in two dimensions. It uses a tank of water, a light source, and a screen to observe wave patterns.

The way waves act when they reach the end of their medium. They can be reflected, diffracted, or refracted.

A point in a wave where the displacement from the resting position is maximum.

A point in a wave where the displacement from the resting position is minimum.

The distance between two consecutive crests or troughs in a wave.

The bending of waves as they pass from one medium to another, resulting in a change in direction, speed, and wavelength.

The bouncing back of waves when they encounter a barrier.

The bending or spreading of waves around the edges of obstacles or apertures.

The angle at which a wave approaches a barrier equals the angle at which it reflects off the barrier.

The change in speed and wavelength of a wave as it passes from one medium to another.

Water waves travel fastest in deeper water, and their speed decreases as the water depth decreases.

The length of a wave, measured from one crest to the next.

Wavelength decreases as the speed of a wave decreases.

The bending of light waves as they pass through a narrow opening, resulting in a pattern of bright and dark bands.

The minimum angle between two objects required for them to be visually distinguishable through an optical instrument, determined by the diffraction caused by the instrument's aperture.

The combination of two or more waves to produce a resultant wave, where the amplitude of the resulting wave is determined by the superposition of the individual wave amplitudes.

The principle stating that when two or more waves overlap in a medium, the resultant displacement at any point is the algebraic sum of the individual displacements caused by each wave.

A bright band in the center of a diffraction pattern, formed by the constructive interference of light waves.

The faint, narrow bands of light and dark that flank the central bright band in a diffraction pattern, caused by the interference of light waves.

The angular positions where complete darkness is observed in a single-slit diffraction pattern, determined by the relationship between the wavelength, slit width, and angle.

When two or more waves arrive at a point in phase, they reinforce each other, resulting in a larger amplitude.

When two or more waves arrive at a point out of phase, they cancel each other out, resulting in a smaller amplitude.

The difference in the distance traveled by two waves from different sources to a specific point.

The condition for constructive interference where the path difference is an integer multiple of the wavelength.

The condition for destructive interference where the path difference is a half-integer multiple of the wavelength.

An experiment that demonstrates the interference of light waves by passing them through two narrow slits.

The pattern of bright and dark bands formed on a screen due to the interference of light waves from two slits.

The distance between two consecutive bright bands or two consecutive dark bands in an interference pattern.

When two or more waves overlap at a point, the resulting displacement is the sum of the individual displacements.

The ability of waves to maintain a constant phase difference over time.

Two waves with the same frequency and wavelength.

A point where two waves traveling from different sources arrive in phase, resulting in maximum reinforcement.

A point where two waves traveling from different sources arrive out of phase, resulting in minimum reinforcement or cancellation.

When two waves of the same amplitude interfere constructively, the resulting amplitude is twice the individual amplitude.

A change in the observed frequency of a wave due to the relative motion between the source of the wave and the observer. If the observer is moving towards the source, the frequency appears higher, and if they are moving away, the frequency appears lower.

The shift in the frequency of light waves due to the relative motion of the source and the observer. If the source is moving towards the observer, the observed light is shifted towards the blue end of the spectrum (blueshift). If it is moving away, the light is shifted towards the red end (redshift).

The direction of oscillation of the wave's electric field. It describes how the electric field vibrates in a transverse wave.

The equation that describes the Doppler shift for sound waves. It relates the observed frequency (fo) to the source frequency (fs), the speed of sound (v), the speed of the source (vs), and the speed of the observer (vo).

The Doppler effect is used to measure the speed of objects in astronomy. By observing the redshift or blueshift of light from distant galaxies or stars, astronomers can determine their velocity relative to us. This helps to understand the expansion of the universe and the movement of objects within galaxies.

The Doppler Effect is used in medical imaging, particularly in ultrasound scans. By analyzing the Doppler shift of sound waves reflected from blood flow, it allows doctors to measure blood velocity and detect blockages or other abnormalities in blood vessels.