Unit 5 Flashcards
What are waves
Energy
What is a transmission of energy through a medium
A wave
A matter/substance through which the wave passes
Medium
Waves that require a medium are …
Mechanical waves (sound)
Waves that do not need a medium are
Electromagnetic waves (sun light)
A wave that causes particles of the medium to vibrate perpendicularly to the direction in the wave travels
Transversal wave
Highest point of the wave
crest
the lowest part of a wave
trough
the greatest distance that the medium particles move from their normal position ( half the distance from a crest to a trough)
Amplitude
Distance from one crest of a wave to the next. Symbol is lambda (varies among different waves)
Wavelength
A wave that causes particles to vibrate parallel to the wave (sound wave, no up or down motion)
Longitudinal wave
Space between compressions in a transversal wave
rarefaction
Pulses of energy in a longitudinal wave
Pulses of energy in a longitudinal wave
The time required for one full wavelength to pass
Period
Wave/time
frequency
