P1c: A Spectrum of Waves

Wave Properties
1. The trough of a wave is the lowest point on a wave below its rest position.
2. The crest of a wave is the highest point on a wave above its rest position.
3. The wavelength of a wave is the distance between two successive points on a wave having the same displacement and moving in the same direction
The frequency of a wave is the number of complete waves passing a point in one second.
1. The equation for the speed of a wave is: wave speed = frequency × wavelength
Electromagnetic Spectrum
1. Radio
  1. Microwave
    1. Infared
      1. Visable
        Ultra Violet
        X- ray
        Gamma
Getting the message across
1. Some optical instruments, such as the periscope, uses two or more plane mirrors.
2. Refraction occurs because the speed of waves decreases as the wave enters a more dense medium and increases as the wave enters a less dense medium. The frequency stays the same but the wavelength changes.
3. Diffraction is the spreading out of a wave as it passes through a gap.
4. The size of a communications receiver depends on the wavelength of the radiation.
Diffraction Effects
1. The amount of diffraction depends on the size of the gap; the most diffraction occurs when the gap is a similar size to the wavelength. Larger gaps show less diffraction.
2. Diffraction effects are noticeable in telescopes and microscopes

Resource summary

	Created by antonia_f about 11 years ago