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Figure 7 shows a tuning fork - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 5 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 5
Figure 7 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 7. Describe how the ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Figure 7 shows a tuning fork - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 5 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe how the vibrating tuning fork causes a sound wave to travel through the air.
Answer
When the prongs of the tuning fork are struck, they vibrate back and forth. This vibration causes the surrounding air molecules to oscillate in the same direction as the prongs. As the prongs move outward, they push air molecules away, creating areas of high pressure (compressions). When they move inward, they create areas of low pressure (rarefactions).
These alternating compressions and rarefactions propagate through the air as a longitudinal sound wave, allowing the sound to travel to our ears.
Step 6
Explain, in terms of speed, why the light behaves like this.
Answer
When light crosses from air into glass, it slows down due to the higher density of glass compared to air. The change in speed causes the light to bend, a phenomenon known as refraction. This bending effect is also responsible for the separation of light into its constituent colors, as each color travels at slightly different speeds in the glass, leading to dispersion.