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Waves Trivia Questions & FAQ

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Professional Waves FAQ Questions and Answers

Welcome to our comprehensive Trivia Quiz and interview preparation guide. Below you will find a curated list of popular Trivia Questions and Answers specifically for Waves. Whether you are preparing for a technical interview or just testing your knowledge, these FAQ Questions will help you succeed.

What is a wave?

Transfers energy from one place to another without transferring matter

What are the two types of waves?

Transverse and longitudinal

What is an example of a transverse wave?

Ripples on the surface of water

What is an example of a longitudinal wave?

Sound waves travelling through air

What direction are the oscillations of a transverse wave compared to the direction of the energy tra

The oscillations (vibrations) are perpendicular (at 90o) to the direction of energy transfer.

What direction are the oscillations of a longitudinal wave compared to the direction of the energy t

The oscillations (vibrations) are parallel to the direction of energy transfer

What is the definition of amplitude?

The maximum displacement of a point on a wave away from its undisturbed position.

What is the definition of wavelength?

The wavelength of a wave is the distance from a point on one wave to the equivalent point on the adjacent wave.

What is the definition of frequency?

The frequency of a wave is the number of waves passing a point each second

What is the equation from the physics equation sheet that relates the period of one wave and frequen

period = 1 frequency

What is the symbol equation from the physics equation sheet that relates period and frequency?

T = 1 / f

What are the units and unit symbol of frequency?

Hertz, Hz

What is the wave speed?

The speed at which the energy is transferred through the medium.

What is the word equation for wave speed?

wave speed = frequency ? wavelength

What is the symbol equation for wave speed?

v = f λ

What are the unit and unit symbol of wave speed?

metres per second, m/s

What happens to waves at the boundary between materials?

They can be reflected, absorbed or transmitted.

What is a normal line?

An imaginary line thats perpendicular to the surface at the point where the wave hits the surface

What is the relationship between the angles of incidence and reflection?

Angle of incidence = angle of reflection Rarefaction Compression

What is specular reflection?

When a wave is reflected in a single direction by a smooth surface (e.g. a mirror) and you get a clear reflection

What is diffuse reflection?

When a wave is reflected by a rough surface (e.g. a piece of paper) and the rays are scattered in lots of different directions

How do sound waves travel through solids?

Vibrations in the solid cause the sound wave to travel

How do humans hear sounds?

The sounds waves cause the ear drum and other parts of the ear to vibrate, causing a sensation of sound

Why can humans hear only a limited range of sounds?

Human hearing is limited by the size and shape of our ear drum as well as the structure of all the parts in the ear that vibrate

What is a reflected sound called?

An echo

What is the range of normal human hearing?

20 Hz to 20 kHz

What are ultrasound waves?

Ultrasound waves have a frequency higher than the upper limit of hearing for humans (frequencies above 20, 000 Hz)

What happens when ultrasound waves meet a boundary between two different media?

They are partially reflected

What does it mean when an ultrasound is described as partially reflected?

Some of the wave is reflected off the boundary between the two media, and some is transmitted (and refracted)

How can partial reflection be used in ultrasound to determine how far away a boundary between one su

By the time taken for the reflections to reach a detector

What can ultrasound waves be used for?

Medical and industrial imaging

What are seismic waves?

Waves produced by earthquakes

What are P-waves?

P-waves are longitudinal, seismic waves. P-waves travel at different speeds through solids and liquids.

What are S-waves?

S-waves are transverse, seismic waves

Which type of media are S-waves unable to travel through?

Liquids

What do P-waves and S-waves provide evidence for?

The structure and size of the Earths core, which are not easily observable

How are waves used to detect objects in deep water and measure water depth?

Echo sounding, using high frequency sound waves

What are electromagnetic waves?

Transverse waves that transfer energy from the source of the waves to an absorber

What is the velocity of all electromagnetic waves through a vacuum?

300 000 000 m/s (3.0 x 108 m/s)

What is the only electromagnetic waves our eyes are able to detect?

Visible light

What is a practical application for radio waves?

Television and radio

Why are microwaves used for satellite communications?

They are able to pass through the Earths atmosphere

What is a practical application for infrared?

Electrical heaters, cooking food, infrared cameras

What is a practical application for visible light?

Fibre optic communications

What is a practical application for ultraviolet?

Energy efficient lamps, sun tanning

What is a practical application for x-rays and gamma rays?

Medical imgaing and treatments

What happens when a wave crosses a boundary between different materials at an angle and what is this

They speed up or slow down and it changes directions ? called refraction

Why do waves refract when they enter different substances?

They speed up of slow down

What does the size of refraction depend on?

How much the wave speeds up or slows down

What happens to a wave if it crosses a boundary at an angle and slows down?

It bends towards the normal

What happens to a wave if it crosses a boundary at an angle and speeds up?

It bends away from the normal

What happens to the wavelength and frequency of a wave when it is refracted?

The wavelength changes, but the frequency stays the same

How can radio waves be produced?

Oscillations in electrical circuits

What is the object called in which charges oscillate to create the radio waves?

A transmitter

What is the frequency of the waves produced by a transmitter the same as?

The frequency of the alternating current in the electrical circuit

What happens when transmitted radio waves reach a receiver?

They are absorbed

What happens to the energy that is being carried by the radio waves when it reaches a receiver?

It is transferred to the electrons in the material of the receiver and causes them to oscillate at the same frequency as the radio wave that generated it

How are electromagnetic waves related to atoms and nuclei?

Changes in atoms and the nuclei of atoms can result in electromagnetic waves being generated or absorbed

Where do gamma rays originate from?

Changes in the nucleus of an atom

What is radiation dose?

Radiation dose is a measure of the risk of harm resulting from an exposure of the body to the radiation.

What are the units of radiation dose?

Sieverts, Sv

How many millisieverts (mSv) make up 1 sievert (Sv)?

1000 millisieverts (mSv) = 1 sievert (Sv)

What effect do ultraviolet waves have on skin?

They can cause it to age prematurely and they increase the risk of skin cancer.

Which types of EM radiation are ionising?

X-rays and gamma rays

What effects can ionising radiation have on the body?

They can cause mutation of genes and cancer

What are the two different types of lens?

Convex and concave

What is the definition of converging and which lens does this apply to?

Brought together, convex

What is the definition of diverging and which lens does this apply to?

Spread out, concave

How do convex lenses form an image?

Parallel rays of light are brought together (converge) at the principal focus

Where is the principle focus of a convex lens?

Where rays hitting the lens parallel to the axis all meet

Where is the principle focus of a concave lens?

The point where rays hitting the lens parallel to the axis appear to all come from. You have to trace them back until they appear to meet up.

What is the focal length?

The distance from the lens to the principal focus

What is a real image?

One that can be shown on a screen

What is a virtual image?

One that does not exist, and only appears to

What can you not do with a virtual image?

Project it onto a screen

What type of image does a convex (converging) lens produce?

Real or virtual

What type of image does a concave (diverging) lens produce?

Virtual only

What is the equation from the Physics equation sheet for magnification?

Magnification = image height / object height

What are the units for image height and object height?

mm or cm

What are the units of magnification?

Magnification is a ratio and so has no units

How does the distance the object is from a convex lens affect the image?

An object at 2F will produce a real, inverted image the same size as the object An object between F and 2F will produce a real, inverted image that is bigger than the object An object nearer than F will make a virtual image the right way up, bigger than the object

What is the difference between the colours in the visible light spectrum?

They each have their own narrow band of wavelength and frequency

What is the word for reflection from a smooth surface in a single direction?

Specular reflection

What is the word for reflection from a rough surface?

Diffuse reflection

How do colour filters work?

By absorbing certain wavelengths (and colour) and transmitting other wavelengths (and colour)

What is an opaque object?

An object in which no light is transmitted

What determines the colour of an opaque object?

By which wavelengths of light are more strongly reflected

What happens to the colours hitting an opaque object that are not reflected?

They are absorbed

When does an object appear white?

When all wavelengths of light are reflected equally

When does an object appear black?

When all wavelengths of light are absorbed

What is the definition of transparent?

An object that is see through

What is the definition of translucent?

An object that is partially see through

What words are used to describe objects which transmit light?

Transparent or translucent

What radiation do all objects, no matter what temperature, emit & absorb?

Infrared

What can be said about the amount of radiation a hot body emits?

The hotter the body, the more infrared radiation it radiates in a given time

What is a perfect black body?

An object that absorbs all of the radiation incident on it. No radiation is reflected or transmitted.

What type of object is the best possible emitter of radiation?

A perfect black body

What can be said about the rate that an object absorbs and emits radiation?

A body at constant temperature is absorbing radiation at the same rate as it is emitting radiation.

When does the temperature of a body increase?

The temperature of a body increases when the body absorbs radiation faster than it emits radiation

What factors affect the temperature of the Earth?

The rates of absorption and emission of radiation; Reflection of radiation into space