What is the difference between infrasound Explain the concept of rough surfaces in

and ultrasound? relation to reflection.

What are the incident ray and the reflected How is light-time used to measure distance
ray in the Law of Reflection? in space?

Describe how light travels through different What is the difference between specular
mediums. reflection and diffuse scattering?

What is the Law of Reflection? Why do you see an image in a mirror?

How fast does light travel? What happens to light as it travels?

Every surface reflects at least some light, but
Frequencies below 20 Hz are called
only surfaces that reflect light in a regular
infrasound, while frequencies above 20,000
way allow you to see your image. Reflection
Hz are called ultrasounds. Some animals can
from a smooth surface is called specular
hear frequencies in these ranges that are
reflection, while reflection from a rough
beyond the human audible range.
surface is called diffuse scattering.

Astronomers use 'light-time' to measure

distance in space, where a light-minute is the
distance that light travels in one minute, and
a light year is the distance it travels in a
year. Light-time is measured as a distance,
not time.
The ray that hits the mirror from the light
source is called the incident ray, and the ray
that reflects off the mirror is called the
reflected ray.

Light can travel through gases like air, some

Reflection from a smooth surface is called liquids like water, and some solids like glass.
specular reflection, while reflection from a It can even travel through completely empty
rough surface is called diffuse scattering. space, which is called a vacuum, and it does
not need a medium to travel through.

When you look in a mirror, the image see is a

The Law of Reflection states that the angle of
virtual image created by your brain using the
incidence is equal to the angle of reflection,
fact that light travels in a straight line to
and light reflects off a mirror in the same
work out where the light appears to come
way that a wave reflects off a barrier.
from.

Light emitted from a source reflects off

objects and can be absorbed or transmitted.
Luminous objects emit light, while non-
luminous objects reflect light. Light can
The speed of light is about 300,000
travel through transparent materials like
kilometers per second, and it takes about
glass, perspex, and shallow water, but is
eight minutes for light to reach Earth from
absorbed in deep water. Translucent
the sun, a distance of 150 million kilometers.
materials scatter light, while opaque
materials do not transmit light and produce
shadows due to the straight-line travel of
light.
 Do we measure loudness and how is it
How does a microphone work?
measured?

Describe the process of hearing, from the

How does the ear detect sound waves?
outer ear to the brain.

Describe the audible range of frequencies for

Describe the features of a wave.
humans.

How does the pitch of a sound relate to its Define the factors affecting the loudness of a
frequency? sound.

Do sound waves travel faster in solids or Describe how sound travels through different
gases? Explain. mediums.
 When sound waves hit the diaphragm of a
Loudness is measured in decibels (dB), with
microphone, it vibrates and produces an
each 10 dB increase representing a 10 times
electrical signal, similar to the process in the
increase in sound intensity. For example, a
cochlea. This signal carries the information of
40 dB sound is 100 times louder than a 20
the sound wave and can be amplified and
dB sound.
converted back into sound by loudspeakers.

The pinna, auditory canal, and eardrum

make up the outer ear, which leads to the
middle ear where the ossicles amplify sound
The ear detects sound waves through the
and make the oval window vibrate. The
pinna, which directs the sound waves into
vibration is then passed onto the liquid in the
the auditory canal towards the eardrum.
cochlea, where tiny hairs convert the
movement to an electrical signal that travels
to the brain through the auditory nerve.

A wave has three important features:

The audible range for humans is typically 20
amplitude (distance from the middle to the
to 20,000 Hz. However, this range changes
top or bottom of a wave), frequency (number
as individuals age, making it more difficult to
of waves that pass a point per second), and
hear high-frequency sounds as they get
wavelength (distance from one point of the
older.
wave to the same point in the next wave).

The pitch of a sound depends on its

The loudness of a sound is affected by its
frequency. High-pitched sounds have a high
amplitude. A louder sound has a bigger
frequency, while low-pitched sounds have a
amplitude than a soft sound, transferring
low frequency. Frequency is measured in
more energy.
hertz or kilohertz.

Sound needs a medium like a solid, liquid, or Sound waves travel faster in solids than in
gas to travel. It cannot travel through empty gases. This is because the particles in a solid
space, a vacuum, because there are no air are very close together, so the vibration is
molecules to vibrate. passed along more quickly than in a gas.
 How does sound travel through different What is the difference between a peak and a
mediums? trough in a wave?

How do dolphins and whales communicate

Describe what produces a sound wave.
underwater?

How do waves behave when they are added

Define reflection of waves.
together?

Do waves have different types? If so, what

are they?
 Sound can travel through various mediums,
The top of a wave is called a peak or crest,
such as air, water, and solids. For example,
while the bottom of a wave is called a
dolphins and whales use sound to
trough. Peaks represent the highest points of
communicate underwater, and elephants can
the wave, while troughs represent the lowest
communicate through the ground using
points.
sound waves.

A vibration produces a sound wave. For Dolphins and whales use sound to
example, all speakers have something that communicate underwater, as sound travels
moves backwards and forwards, producing a effectively through water. They emit sound
sound wave. waves to communicate with each other.

When waves are added together, they

Reflection of waves occurs when waves
superpose, meaning they can either add up
bounce off surfaces or barriers, similar to
or cancel each other out depending on
how a football bounces off a wall.
whether they are in step or not.

Yes, waves can be transverse or longitudinal.

In a transverse wave, the oscillation is at 90°
to the direction of the wave, while in a
longitudinal wave, the oscillation is parallel
to the direction of the wave.