Science waves vocab

Question 1

Wave

Answer 1

A wave is a traveling disturbance that moves through space and matter. Waves transfer energy from one place to another, but not matter.

Question 2

Medium

Answer 2

The medium is the matter that a wave travels through.

Question 3

Reflect

Answer 3

The change in direction of a wave, such as a light or sound wave, away from a boundary the wave encounters. Reflected waves remain in their original medium rather than entering the medium they encounter.

Question 4

Absorb

Answer 4

Absorption is when some of the wave’s energy is taken away when a wave encounters a medium.

Question 5

Transmit

Answer 5

To send out electronic signals, messages, etc using radio, television, or other similar equipment

Question 6

Refract

Answer 6

The change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another caused by its change in speed. For example, waves in deep water travel faster than in shallow.

Question 7

Mechanical Wave

Answer 7

A mechanical wave is a wave that must travel through some sort of matter called a medium. Mechanical waves cannot travel through a vacuum like outer space.

Question 8

Electromagnetic Wave

Answer 8

Electromagnetic waves are waves that can travel through a vacuum. They do not need a medium. Light is a type of electromagnetic wave.

Question 9

Transverse Wave

Answer 9

A transverse wave is a wave where the disturbance moves perpendicular to the direction of the wave.

Question 10

Longitudinal Wave

Answer 10

A longitudinal wave is a wave where the disturbance travels in the same direction as the wave. Sound waves are longitudinal.

Question 11

Amplitude

Answer 11

The measure of the displacement of the wave from its rest position. The higher the amplitude of a wave, the higher its energy.

Question 12

Frequency

Answer 12

The frequency of a wave is the number of times per second that a wave cycles. The frequency is the inverse of the period.

Question 13

Wavelength

Answer 13

The wavelength of a wave is the distance between two corresponding points on back-to-back cycles of a wave. For example, between two crests of a wave.

Question 14

Analog

Answer 14

Something that has an output that’s proportional or similar to its input — usually a voltage. Anything digital is the exact opposite.

Question 15

Digital

Answer 15

Digital information is stored using a series of ones and zeros. Computers are digital machines because they can only read information as on or off – 1 or 0. This method of computation, also known as the binary system, may seem rather simplistic but can be used to represent incredible amounts of data