General Properties Of Waves (continued)
Overview
Drop a stone in a pond and circular ripples spread out; they bounce off a wall, bend where the water is shallow, and spread through a gap. Those same three behaviours, reflection, refraction and diffraction, are shown by every wave, from water ripples to light and sound.
In this lesson you will distinguish longitudinal from transverse waves, describe how waves reflect, refract and diffract, and explain how a ripple tank demonstrates each one. You will also learn how the size of a gap and the wavelength control how much a wave spreads out.
Objectives
- Know that for a longitudinal wave, the direction of vibration is parallel to the direction of propagation and understand that sound waves and seismic P-waves (primary) can be modelled as longitudinal
- Describe how waves can undergo: (a) reflection at a plane surface (b) refraction due to a change of speed (c) diffraction through a narrow gap
- Describe the use of a ripple tank to show: (a) reflection at a plane surface (b) refraction due to a change in speed caused by a change in depth (c) diffraction due to a gap (d) diffraction due to an edge
- [Supplement] Describe how wavelength and gap size affects diffraction through a gap
- [Supplement] Describe how wavelength affects diffraction at an edge
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on General Properties Of Waves (continued). Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- In a longitudinal wave, the vibration is: A. at right angles to the direction of travel B. parallel to the direction of travel C. always vertical D. zero Answer: B
- Which wave is longitudinal? A. light B. water ripples C. sound D. a wave on a rope Answer: C
- When a wave refracts, the quantity that stays the same is the: A. speed B. wavelength C. frequency D. direction Answer: C
- Diffraction through a gap is greatest when the gap is: A. much larger than the wavelength B. about equal to the wavelength C. zero D. unrelated to the wavelength Answer: B
- Water waves slow down as they move into shallower water. Their wavelength: A. increases B. decreases C. stays the same D. becomes zero Answer: B
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