Semester Exam- Fall Topics

Front

What is a mechanical wave?

Back

A wave that needs a medium (like air, water, or solid) to travel and transfer energy.

Front

What is an electromagnetic wave?

Back

A wave that can travel through a vacuum and does not need a medium; it carries energy through electric and magnetic fields.

Front

What is a longitudinal wave?

Back

A type of wave where the particles of the medium move parallel to the direction of the wave's travel.

Front

What is a transverse wave?

Back

A type of wave where the particles of the medium move perpendicular to the direction of the wave's travel.

Front

Can sound travel in space? Why or why not?

Back

No, sound cannot travel in space because it requires a medium (like air) to carry the sound waves.

Front

What happens to light waves in space?

Back

Light waves can travel in space because they are electromagnetic waves and do not need a medium.

Front

What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?

Back

Wavelength and frequency are inversely related; as the wavelength increases, the frequency decreases, and vice versa.

Front

What is the speed of light in a vacuum?

Back

The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (or about 300,000 kilometers per second).

Front

What is the definition of amplitude in waves?

Back

Amplitude is the maximum distance that the particles of a medium move from their rest position when a wave passes through.

Front

What is a wave's period?

Back

The period is the time it takes for one complete wave cycle to pass a given point.