Reflection, Refraction and Total Internal ReflectionAQA GCSE Physics: Flashcards

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What are the three things that can happen when a wave meets a boundary?

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What are the three things that can happen when a wave meets a boundary?: Reflection, absorption, or transmission.
What is reflection?: A wave bouncing back off a surface rather than passing through it.
What is refraction?: The change in direction of a wave as it crosses a boundary between two materials, caused by a change in speed.
What causes a wave to refract at a boundary?: A change in the wave's speed as it moves into a different material.
What happens to light as it travels from air into glass?: It slows down and bends towards the normal.
What happens to light as it leaves glass back into air?: It speeds up and bends away from the normal.
(HT) What is a P-wave?: A longitudinal seismic wave that can travel through both solids and liquids.
(HT) What is an S-wave?: A transverse seismic wave that can travel through solids but not through liquids.
(HT) What evidence do seismic waves give about the Earth's core?: Since S-waves cannot travel through liquids and stop being detected past a certain point, part of the Earth's core must be liquid.
(HT) Give one medical use of reflected waves.: Ultrasound — high-frequency sound waves reflected inside the body to build up an image.
(HT) Give one use of reflected sound waves in the sea.: Echo sounding — used to measure the depth of water or detect underwater objects.
How does the absorption/transmission/reflection of electromagnetic waves vary?: It varies with wavelength, and also depends on the substance the wave meets.