Science Flashcards
a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another with out requiring matter to move the entire distance
Wave
A substance through which a wave moves
Medium
A wave such as a sound or seismic wave that transfers kinetic energy through matter
Mechanical wave
a wave in which the disturbance moves at right angles to the direction of the wave
Transverse wave
a type of wave in which the disturbance move in the same direction that the wave travels
Longitudinal wave
the highest point or peak of a wave
Crest
the lowest point or valley of a wave
Trough
The maximum distance that a disturbance causes a medium to move from its rest position
Amplitude
the distance between one crest to the next wave crest
Wave length
the number of waves that pass a fixed point in a given period of time
Frequency
the bouncing back of a wave after it hits a barrier
Reflection
The bending of light as it crosses a boundary between two mediums at an angle other than 90 degrees
Refraction
The spreading out of waves as they pass through an opening or around the edges of an obstacle
Diffraction
The meeting and combining of waves; the adding or subtracting of wave amplitudes that occur as waves overlap
Interference
the range of all electromagnetic frequencies
Electromagnetic spectrum