Science Vocabulary

Question 1

Medium

Answer 1

A substance through which a wave moves.

Question 2

Mechanical wave

Answer 2

A wave, such as a sound or a seismic wave, that transfers kinetic energy through matter.

Question 3

Transverse wave

Answer 3

A type of wave in which the disturbance moves at right angles, or perpendicular, to the direction in which the waver travels.

Question 4

Longitudinal wave

Answer 4

A type of wave in which the disturbance moves in the same direction that the wave travels.

Question 5

Crest

Answer 5

The highest point, or peak of the wave.

Question 6

Trough

Answer 6

The lowest point, or valley, of a wave.

Question 7

Amplitude

Answer 7

The maximum distance that a disturbance causes a medium to move from its rest position; the distance between a crest or a trough of a wave and a line through the center of the wave.

Question 8

Wavelength

Answer 8

A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without requiring matter to move the entire distance.

Question 9

Wave

Answer 9

A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without requiring matter to move the entire distance.

Question 10

Trough

Answer 10

The lowest point or valley of a wave

Question 11

Amplitude

Answer 11

The maximum distance that a disturbance causes a medium to move from its rest position; the distance between a crest or trough of a wave and love me through the center of the wave .

Question 12

Wavelength

Answer 12

The distance from one wave peak or crest to the next peak or crest. Wavelength can be measured as the distance from any part of one wave to the identical part of the next wave.

Question 13

Frequency

Answer 13

The number of waves that pass a fixed point in a given amount of time, usually one second; the number of cycles per unit time.

Question 14

Reflection

Answer 14

The bouncing back of a wave after it strikes its barrier.

Question 15

Refraction

Answer 15

The bending of a wave as it crosses the boundary between two mediums at an angle other than 90 degrees.

Question 16

Diffraction

Answer 16

The spreading out of waves as they pass through an opening or around the edges of an obstacle.

Question 17

Interference

Answer 17

The meeting and combining of waves; the adding or subtracting of wave amplitudes that occur as waves.

Question 18

Electromagnetic wave

Answer 18

A type of wave, such as a light wave or a radio wave, that does not require a medium to travel; a disturbance that transfers energy through a field.

Question 19

Radiation

Answer 19

Energy that travels across distances in the form of electromagnetic waves.

Question 20

Electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 20

The range of all electromagnetic frequencies, including the following types (from lowest to highest frequency): radio waves, microwaves, infrared light,visible light, ultra-violet light, x-rays, and gamma waves.

Question 21

Radio waves

Answer 21

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with the lowest frequencies.

Question 22

Microwaves

Answer 22

Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with higher frequencies than infrared light.

Question 23

Visible light

Answer 23

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves detectable by the human eye.

Question 24

Infrared light

Answer 24

Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with frequencies between those of microwaves and visible light.

Question 25

Ultraviolet light

Answer 25

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with frequencies higher than those of visible light and lower than those of x–rays.

Question 26

X-rays

Answer 26

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with high frequencies and high energies ; electromagnetic waves with frequencies ranging from more than 10-16 hertz to more than 10-21 hertz.

Question 27

Gamma rays

Answer 27

Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with the highest frequencies ranging from more than 10-24 hertz.

Question 28

Transmission

Answer 28

The passage of a wave through a medium.

Question 29

Absorption

Answer 29

The disappearance of a wave into a medium. When a wave is absorbed, the energy transferred by the wave is converted into another form of energy, usually thermal energy.

Question 30

Scattering

Answer 30

The spreading out of light rays in all directions as particles reflect and absorb the light.

Question 31

Polarization

Answer 31

A way of filtering light so that all of the waves vibrate in the same direction.

Question 32

Prism

Answer 32

An optical tool that uses refraction to separate the different wavelengths that make up white light.

Question 33

Primary colors

Answer 33

Three colors of light- red,green, and blue- that can be mixed to produce all possible colors.

Question 34

Primary pigments

Answer 34

Three colors of substances-cyan,yellow, and magenta- that can be mixed to produce all possible colors.