Science - Physics (Waves) Flashcards
wave
rhythmic disturbance that travels through matter or space
wave motion
transferring energy
transverse wave
matter vibrates at right angles to the direction in which the wave travels
longitudinal wave
matter vibrates back and forth along the path that the wave travels
periodic motion
motion that repeats itself over and over again
periodic wave
motion that repeats itself at regular intervals and that transfers energy but not mass
period
time it takes for the motion to repeat itself
frequency
how often a cycle repeats itself
what unit is frequency usually measured in?
hertz - cycles per second
amplitude
maximum distance a wave rises or falls as it travels
crest of a transverse wave
max upward displacement
trough
max downward displacement
wavelength
distance between two successive crests
wave speed
frequency of the wave times the wavelength
diffraction
bending of waves around an obstacle