Question | Answer |
A wave | A movement that transfers energy through matter or space |
A crest | The highest point of a wave |
A trough | The lowest point of a wave |
The rest position | The exact middle between the crest and the trough |
The amplitude | The distance from the rest position to the trough or crest |
The wavelength | The distance from crest to crest, trough to trough, or one full crest to one full trough |
Frequency | The number of waves per second and is measured in Hertz (Hz) |
Formula for Frequency | Cycles/seconds |
Compression waves | When the matter in the medium travels back and forth along the same direction the wave travels |
Transverse waves | When the matter in the medium travels perpendicular to the direction the wave travels |
The Wave Model of Light | It explains light as a wave that travels through empty space and transfers energy from one place to another, such as from the Sun to Earth |
Visible light | Light that you can see |
The medium | The matter that waves use to travel on |
Refraction | The bending of a wave as it passes through a material - ex. water |
White light | Made up of all the colors of light and when shone through prism, the prism it is refracted so you see all the different colors |
ROYGBIV | The 7 colors of the rainbow; Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet |
Why does a red shirt look red? | Because it reflects red but absorbs all the other colors |
Why does a red shirt look black if you shine a blue light on it? | Because since the shirt reflects red, it can't reflect anything because there is no red to reflect |
Primary colors of light | Red, Green and Blue |
Red+Green= ? | Yellow |
Green+Blue= ? | Cyan |
Red+Blue= ? | Magenta |
Red+Blue+Green= ? | White light |
Magenta+Cyan+Yellow= ? | Black light |
Radiant energy | Energy that travels by radiation |
Radio waves | Longest wavelength, lowest frequency and lowest energy. Used for broadcasting AM & FM radio, MRI's and TV signals |
Microwaves | Slightly shorter wavelength than radio waves, higher frequency and higher energy. Used in telecommunications, for radar and in microwave ovens |
Infrared waves | Shorter wavelength than microwaves, but still longer than light. Used in remote controls and in computers to read CD-ROMS. Also is heat radiation |
Ultraviolet waves/rays | Shorter wavelength than light, so higher frequency and more energy. Produces vitiman D and kills bacteria in food, water and medical equipment. Also causes sun burns and tans which leads to cancer |
X-Rays | Shorter wavelength, higher frequency and more evergy than ultraviolet waves. Used to photograph bones and teeth, to check inside of baggage and to check inside of machines and jet engines for damage |
Gamma rays | Shortest wavelength, highest frequency and most evergy. Used in radiation treatment to kill career cells |
Name the wavelengths longer than visible light | Radio waves, Microwaves and Infrared waves |
Name the wavelengths shorter than visible light | Ultraviolet waves/rays, X-rays and Gamma rays |
Electromagnetic Radiation | The transmission of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves |
Electromagnetic Waves | A huge range of waves ex. light waves |
Electromagnetic Spectrum | The whole range of electromagnetic waves |
Light | Energy |
A model | a way of representing something so that we can understand it better and make predictions |