12 Questions
What happens when a wave bounces off an object in its path?
Reflection
What is the term for the changing of direction of a wave as it passes from one medium to another?
Refraction
What is the term for the spreading out of a wave into its geometric shadow as it passes through a gap or around an obstacle?
Diffraction
What is the term for when two or more waves overlap, forming a single resultant wave?
Interference
What type of interference occurs when coherent waves meet crest to crest or trough to trough?
Constructive interference
What is the term for the pattern formed when waves from two or more coherent sources meet?
Interference pattern
What is the term for when the direction of vibration of a wave is restricted to one plane?
Polarisation
What is the Doppler effect?
The change in frequency of waves due to relative motion
What is the sign of the Doppler shift when an object is moving away?
Negative (-)
Which of the following is an application of the Doppler effect?
Medical imaging
What is the term for the Doppler shift observed in the universe?
Cosmological red shift
What is the principle behind speed radar guns?
The Doppler effect
Study Notes
Wave Phenomena
- Reflection occurs when a wave bounces off an object in its path.
- Refraction is the change in direction of a wave when it passes from one medium to another.
- Diffraction is the spreading of a wave into its geometric shadow as it passes through a gap or around an obstacle.
- Diffraction is greater when the object or gap is approximately the same width as the wavelength.
- Interference occurs when two or more waves from different sources overlap, forming a single resultant wave of different amplitude.
- Constructive interference occurs when coherent waves meet crest to crest or trough to trough, resulting in a wave with greater amplitude.
- Destructive interference occurs when coherent waves meet crest to trough, resulting in a wave with smaller amplitude.
- Coherent sources produce waves of the same frequency that are in phase.
- An interference pattern is a repeating pattern of constructive and destructive interference formed when waves from two or more coherent sources meet.
- Polarisation is the restriction of the direction of vibration of a wave to one plane.
Doppler Effect
- The Doppler effect is the apparent change in frequency of waves due to the relative motion between a wave source and observer.
Motion and Sign Convention
- If an object is moving away, the sign is positive (+)
- If an object is moving towards, the sign is negative (-)
Applications
- Speed radar guns use the Doppler effect
- The cosmological red shift is an application of the Doppler effect
- Medical imaging is another application of the Doppler effect
Test your understanding of wave phenomena, including reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference. Learn how waves interact with objects and mediums.
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