Waves in Matter Concepts

The distance between a point on one wave and the same point on the next wave.

The number of waves that pass a single point per second.

The distance from the equilibrium line to the maximum displacement of the wave (either the crest or the trough).

The time taken for one complete wave to pass a single point.

The relationship between frequency and wavelength: Increasing frequency leads to a decrease in wavelength, and vice versa.

Waves that vibrate perpendicular to the direction of their travel.

Waves that vibrate parallel to the direction of their travel.

A substance that a wave passes through, such as air, water, or glass.

A tank filled with water where waves are created using a needle or paddle that oscillates.

The number of oscillations a wave completes in one second.

The distance between two consecutive wave crests or troughs.

The bending of waves as they pass from one medium to another.

The particles in a medium move perpendicular to the direction of the wave's travel.

Ultrasound waves are used to create images of a fetus in the womb.

Sound waves that travel through air, often used in underwater navigation to measure distances.

The part of the ear that captures sound waves and channels them towards the inner ear.

A tightly stretched membrane in the ear that vibrates in response to sound waves.

Three small bones in the middle ear that amplify sound vibrations.

A spiral-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear that contains sensory hair cells.

Tiny hairs in the cochlea that are sensitive to different sound frequencies. They move in response to sound vibrations.

The range of frequencies that humans can hear, typically between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz.

A type of lens that bulges outwards in the middle, causing light rays to converge and focus at a point.

A type of lens that curves inwards in the middle, causing light rays to diverge or spread out.

The point where parallel light rays converge after passing through a convex lens.

A condition where the eye focuses light in front of the retina, making distant objects appear blurry.

A condition where the eye focuses light behind the retina, making close-up objects appear blurry.

Electromagnetic waves that travel in a vacuum at the speed of light (3 x 10⁸ m/s), and their speed remains constant regardless of wavelength or frequency.

The energy carried by an electromagnetic wave. It increases as the frequency increases.

The relationship between wavelength and frequency of electromagnetic waves. As wavelength decreases, frequency increases, and vice versa.

EM waves with the longest wavelengths and lowest frequencies. Radio waves are used for communication, broadcasting, and radar.

EM waves with wavelengths shorter than radio waves. Microwaves are used for cooking, communication, and satellite transmissions.

EM waves with wavelengths shorter than microwaves. Infra-red radiation is used for heat transfer, night vision, and remote controls.

The amount of energy a wave carries decreases as it passes through a denser medium. This is because more of the wave's energy is absorbed by the denser material.

The speed of a wave decreases when it enters a denser medium. This means that waves travel slower through solids than through liquids.

When a wave is reflected off a solid surface, the reflected signal is stronger than when it is reflected off a liquid surface. This is due to the difference in wave speed between solids and liquids.

Different materials absorb, transmit, refract, or reflect electromagnetic waves depending on the wavelength of the radiation. For example, glass transmits visible light, but absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation and reflects infrared (IR) radiation.

The variation in how different materials interact with electromagnetic radiation is due to the different wavelengths (and frequencies) of the radiation. This is why some materials are transparent to visible light but opaque to UV radiation.

When light enters a denser medium, its speed decreases. This change in speed causes the light to bend or refract. Shorter wavelengths of light slow down more than longer wavelengths.

Lenses are optical devices that focus or disperse light rays. They have a focal point where light rays converge or diverge.