Wave Interactions & Wavelength Flashcards

All 4 cards in this deck

Name the four things that can happen to a wave when it meets a different substance.

It can be absorbed, transmitted, refracted or reflected.

What happens to the speed and wavelength of a wave when it is reflected at a boundary?

Both are unchanged; the wave bounces off at an equal angle.

True or false? A substance absorbs, transmits and reflects all wavelengths in the same way.

False. How much a substance absorbs, transmits, refracts or reflects varies with wavelength.

Give two reasons why light is less intense after passing through a glass block.

Some light is reflected at the edges/surfaces of the block, and some light is absorbed by the glass.