Figure 5 shows a tuning fork.
When the prongs of the tuning fork are struck, the prongs vibrate in the directions shown by the arrows on Figure 5.
Describe how the... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Figure 5 shows a tuning fork - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 3 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe how the vibrating tuning fork causes a sound wave to travel through the air.
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Answer
When the prongs of the tuning fork are struck, they begin to vibrate or oscillate. This oscillation causes the adjacent air molecules to also vibrate in a longitudinal wave pattern. Specifically, the air molecules move in the same direction as the wave travel, creating compressions and rarefactions that transfer kinetic energy to the air and produce sound.
Step 2
Description 1
used in cooking
used in short-range communication
typical wavelength 900 nm
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Answer
infrared (wave) / IR
Step 3
Description 2
used in cooking
used in communication
typical wavelength 150 mm
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micro (wave)
Step 4
Description 3
used in communication
produced by oscillations in electrical circuits
typical wavelength 150 m
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radio (wave)
Step 5
Description 4
used in medical scanning
is emitted by the nucleus of an atom
typical wavelength 2.0 x 10^-10 nm
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Answer
gamma (ray/wave)
Step 6
Explain, in terms of speed, why the light behaves like this.
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Answer
When white light crosses the boundary between air and glass, it splits into colors due to different wavelengths. Each color has a different wavelength, and various wavelengths travel at different speeds in a medium. As a result, when light enters the glass, it refracts by different amounts depending on the wavelength, leading to the separation of colors.
