Waves: Transverse and Longitudinal Waves

Front

What is a wave?

Back

A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without transferring matter.

Front

What are transverse waves?

Back

Transverse waves are waves where the particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation, such as in water waves.

Front

What are longitudinal waves?

Back

Longitudinal waves are waves where the particle displacement is parallel to the direction of wave propagation, such as sound waves.

Front

Define wavelength.

Back

Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive points that are in phase on a wave, such as crest to crest or trough to trough.

Front

What is frequency?

Back

Frequency is the number of waves that pass a given point in one second, measured in Hertz (Hz).

Front

What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?

Back

As the wavelength decreases, the frequency increases, and vice versa, according to the wave equation: speed = wavelength × frequency.

Front

What are electromagnetic waves?

Back

Electromagnetic waves are waves that can travel through a vacuum and do not require a medium, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Front

List the electromagnetic spectrum in order of increasing wavelength.

Back

Gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet rays, visible light, infrared rays, microwaves, radio waves.

Front

What is the visible spectrum?

Back

The visible spectrum is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye, ranging from approximately 400 nm (violet) to 700 nm (red).

Front

What happens to the energy of a wave as its frequency increases?

Back

As the frequency of a wave increases, its energy also increases.