CP4 Flashcards
Amplitude
The size of vibrations or the maximum distance a particle moves away from its resting position when a wave passes.
Electromagnetic waves
A group of waves that all travel at the same speed in a vacuum, and are all transverse.
Frequency
The numbers of vibrations per unit of time.
Hertz (Hz)
The unit for frequency. One hertz is one wave per second.
Longitudinal wave
A wave where the particles vibrate in the same direction as the wave is traveling.
Medium
Any substance through which something travels.
Period
The time taken for one complete wave to pass a point. It is measured in seconds.
Seismic waves
Vibrations in the rocks of the earth caused by earthquakes or explosions.
Sound waves
Vibrations in the particles of a solid, liquid or gas which are detected by our ears and heard as sounds. Sound waves are longitudinal waves.
Transverse wave
A wave where the vibrations are at right angles to the direction the wave is traveling.
Wavelength
The distance between a point on one wave and the same point on the next wave.
Interface
The boundary between two materials.
Normal
An imaginary line at right angles to a surface where a ray of light hits it.
Refraction
The change in direction when waves go from one medium to another.
