Intro to Waves & Waves Flashcards
What is a wave?
A wave is a travelling disturbance that carries energy from one point to another.
A wave can move through…
a vacuum or a medium (matter).
True or False:
It always carries matter but may or may not carry energy.
False. It always carries energy but may or may not carry matter.
What are the 2 types of waves?
There are mechanical or electromagnetic and transverse or longitudinal.
Mechanical waves need…
a material medium like water or air to spread.
Do electromagnetic waves need a medium?
It doesn’t necessarily need a medium. It can travel through a vacuum like radio waves, x-rays, etc.
Transverse waves produce a disturbance that is…
perpendicular to the propagation. While the particles move up and down, the wave is transferred from left to right.
Longitudinal waves produce a disturbance that is…
parallel to the propagation like a sound wave.
What are the highest and lowest points of a wave called?
The highest point is called a crest, and the lowest point is called a trough.
What are compressed coils called? What are spread-out coils called? What do these correspond to?
Compressed coils are called compression zones that correspond to the crest. Spread-out coils are called rarefaction zones that correspond to the troughs.
What is the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves?
A longitudinal or compression wave is created by a disturbance along the direction that the wave travels. A transverse wave is created by a disturbance that is perpendicular to the direction the wave travels.
