Light and Sound Vocab Flashcards
Vibration
an oscillation of the parts of a fluid or an elastic solid whose equilibrium has been disturbed
Wavelength
describes how long the wave is
Longitudinal waves
a wave vibrating in the direction of propagation
Transverse waves
a wave vibrating at right angles to the direction of its propagation
Trough
a long hollow in the earth’s surface
Crest
a crest point on a wave is the maximum value of upward displacement within a cycle
Amplitude
a measure of the wave’s height|| the maximum amplitude displacement or distance moved by a point on a vibrating body or wave measured from its equilibrium position
Absorption (light)
takes place when matter captures electromagnetic radiation converting the energy photon
Refraction (light)
The bending of light (it also happens with sound, water and other waves)as it passes from one transparent substance into another
Visible spectrum
The segment of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye can view
Infrared
A region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum where wavelengths range from about 700 NM to 1 nm
Ultraviolet
Invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes from the sun
Rarefaction
The reduction of an items density, the opposite of compression
Frequency
The numbers of waves that pass a fixed point in unit time
Hertz
The SI unit of frequency
