Wave(s) flashcards

Question 1

Wave

Answer 1

A repeating disturbance that transfers energy as it travels through matter or space.

Question 2

Medium

Answer 2

Matter through which a wave travels.

Question 3

Transverse Wave

Answer 3

A wave in which the matter in medium moves at right angles to the direction of the wave, has crests and troughs.

Question 4

Compressional Wave

Answer 4

A wave in which the matter in the medium moves back and forth along the direction that the wave travels.

Question 5

Sound Waves

Answer 5

Compressional waves.

Question 6

Water Waves

Answer 6

Causes water to move back and forth, as well as up and down.

Question 7

Seismic Waves

Answer 7

An elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means.

Question 8

Crests

Answer 8

The high point on the wave.

Question 9

Troughs

Answer 9

low point of a wave.

Question 10

Refaction

Answer 10

The less dense region of a compressional wave.

Question 11

Wavelengths

Answer 11

The distance between one point on a wave and the nearest point just like it.

Question 12

Frequency

Answer 12

The number of wavelengths that pass a fixed point each second. Measured in Hertz.

Question 13

Amplitude

Answer 13

A measure of the size of the disturbance of a wave, related to the energy that it carries.

Question 14

Refraction

Answer 14

the bending of a wave as it changes speed in moving from one medium to another.

Question 15

Diffractions

Answer 15

The bending of waves around an obstacle. can also occur when waves pass through a narrow opening.

Question 16

Interference

Answer 16

Occurs when two or more waves overlap and combine to form a new wave.

Question 17

Standing Wave

Answer 17

A wave pattern that forms when waves of equal wavelength and amplitude, but traveling in opposite directions, continuously interfere with each other.

Question 18

Resonance

Answer 18

the process by which an object is made to vibrate by absorbing energy at its natural frequencies.

Question 19

Eardrum

Answer 19

Tough membrane in the outer ear that is about .1 mm thick and transmits sound vibrations into the middle of the ear.

Question 20

Cochlea

Answer 20

Spiral-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear that converts sounds waves to nerve impulses.

Question 21

Intensity

Answer 21

Amount of energy that flows through a certain area in a specific amount of time.

Question 22

Loudness

Answer 22

Human perception of sound intensity.

Question 23

Decibel

Answer 23

Unit for sound intensity.

Question 24

Pitch

Answer 24

How high or low a sound seems; related to the frequency of sound waves.

Question 25

Ultrasonic

Answer 25

Sound waves with frequencies above 20,000 Hz.

Question 26

Doppler Effect

Answer 26

Change in pitch or frequency that occurs when a source of a sound is moving relative to a listener.

Question 27

Overtone

Answer 27

Vibration whose frequency is a multiple of the fundamental frequency.

Question 28

Acoustics

Answer 28

The study of sound.

Question 29

Echolocation

Answer 29

Process in which objects are located by emitting sounds and interpreting sound waves that are reflected.

Question 30

Sonar

Answer 30

System that uses the reflection of sound waves to detect objects under water.