Vocabulary Flashcards
Medium
the matter through which the wave travels
Mechanical wave
waves that require a medium
ex. sound waves and earthquake waves
electromagnetic waves
consists of changing electric and magnetic fields in space
transverse wave
a wave whose particles of the medium move perpendicularly to the direction the wave is traveling
longitudinal wave
a wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave motion
ex. sound wave
crest
high point of a wave
trough
low point of a wave
rarefactions
stretched out areas of a wave
compressions
crowded areas of a wave
surface wave
the particles move both perpendicularly and parallel to the direction in which the wave travels
amplitude
the maximum distance that the particles of a wave’s medium vibrate from their rest position
wavelength
the distance from any point on a wave to an identical point on the next wave
period
the time that it takes a complete cycle or wave oscillation to occur
frequency
the number of cycles or vibrations per unit of time; also the number of waves produced in a given amount of time
doppler effect
an observed change in the frequency of a wave when the source or observer is moving
reflection
the bouncing back of a wave when it meets a surface or boundary
diffraction
a change in the direction of a wave when the wave finds an obstacle or an edge, such as an opening
refraction
the bending of a wave front as the wave front passes between two substances in which the speed of the wave differs
interference
the combination of two or more waves that results in a single wave
constructive interference
a superposition of two or more waves that produces an intensity equal to the sum of the intensities of the individual waves
destructive interference
a superposition of two or more waves that produces an intensity equal to the difference of the intensities of the individual waves
simple harmonic motion
when a spring is expanded or compressed, it exerts a force that moves the mass back to the original resting position
damped harmonic motion
a vibration that fades out as energy is transferred form one object to another
