Physics Final Exam Study Guide

1. How would changing the amplitude change how you see light?
The brightness would change. The bigger the amplitude the brighter the light. The smaller the amplitude the
dimmer the light.
2. How would changing the amplitude change how you hear sound?
The volume of the sound would change. The bigger the amplitude the louder the sound. The smaller the
amplitude the quieter the sound.

3. How would changing the frequency change how you see light?
Changing the frequency would change the wavelength and the color of the light would change.

4. How would changing the frequency change how you hear sound?
If you change the frequency of the sound, the pitch will change. The higher the frequency the higher the pitch.

5. What factors determine the amount of mechanical kinetic energy a moving object has? The two things
that determine the amount of kinetic energy something has is the mass of the object and the
velocity(speed) of the object.

6. What factors determine the amount of gravitational potential energy an object has? The mass of the
object and the distance above the ground. The higher the more potential energy there is.

7. Why do you see a red car as red?

All of the visible light colors are absorbed except the color red that is reflected.

8. Why do you see a blue car as blue?

All of the visible light colors are absorbed except the color blue that is reflected.

9. How does paint color work?

Whatever the color the paint is, is the only colors that are reflected by the paint. The rest of the colors are
absorbed by the paint.

10. How is energy transferred in collisions?

The kinetic energy from the objects that are moving is transferred in to the other object. If it is a wall some of
the energy is absorbed by the wall and then transferred back into the moving object to cause it to bounce.

11. How are s waves different than p waves?

S-waves cannot travel through liquids so they are absorbed by the outer core of the earth and do not travel to
the other side of the world. The p-wave are transmitted through the core and can be recorded on the other side
of the world.

12. What does waves refracting mean?

They are transmitted but bent as they travel through a substance.

13. What is an example of refraction? (include an example using both sound and light waves)
Rainbows are created by the light being refracted through a prism and different wavelengths refracting at
different angles. When you are at a small lake when the water is cold the sound travels quickly of the water
and can be heard on the other side. When the water is warm the sound doesn't travel across the water.

14. What does waves being transmitted mean?

The wave pass through a substance.

15. What is an example of waves being transmitted? (include an example using both sound and light
waves)
Light passing through the glass of a window, and whale calls traveling through the ocean are examples of
waves being transmitted.

16. What does waves being absorbed mean?

Waves hit something and the energy they are carrying is absorbed into something else and the wave no longer
exist.

17. What is an example of waves being absorbed? (include an example using both sound and light waves)
White light hitting some that look black, because most of the white light is absorbed. A sound recording studio
where the sound hits that walls and is absorbed, so there is no echo that is picked up by the microphones.

18. What does waves reflected mean?

The wave bounces off of something at the opposite angle that it hit the object.

19. What is an example of waves reflecting? (include an example using both sound and light waves)
Light is reflected off a mirror, sound is reflected off and you hear an echo.

20. Draw a diagram showing how a light wave would look being refracted, transmitted, absorbed, and
reflected when it hits a wall.

21. What is the law of conservation of energy?

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, just transferred into another of form of energy.

22. Explain 2 examples that illustrate the law of conservation of energy.

Hand being rubbed together and the mechanical energy of the hands moving is changed into heat energy from
friction. Solar energy from the sun is converted to electrical energy in solar panels.
 23. Draw and label a wave with all of its parts.

24. What factor determines the amount of energy in a wave?

The amplitude is determined by the amount of energy that the wave is carrying. The larger the amplitude the
more energy.

25. What is analog technology?

The signal is recorded and sent in its original form. Continuous recording of information. Information sent using
waves (light, sound, etc.)

26. What is digital technology?

Information is stored as numbers and then converted to images, sound, etc. The signal is recorded at intervals
and is not a continuous signal.

27. What are some pros and cons about analog and digital technologies?

Digital
Pros Cons

You can store a lot of information in a small amount You have to rely on technology
of space More susceptible to water damage
Easy to modify Can be hacked and broken into
It can travel long distances without losing quality
Less susceptible to interference
Can be more secure - you can encrypt the signal
It can be copied and shared more easily
It can be searched for more easily

Analog

Pros Cons

Don’t need technology to view data (often times) More susceptible to interference
Not reliant on electricity (often times) Poor quality if transmitted over long distances
It can last longer (digital technology changes quickly) Takes more space to store them
Emotional attachment to them (records or books) Can be less secure - can’t encrypt the signal