Wave(s) flashcards
Science
Wave
A repeating disturbance that transfers energy as it travels through matter or space.
Medium
Matter through which a wave travels.
Transverse Wave
A wave in which the matter in medium moves at right angles to the direction of the wave, has crests and troughs.
Compressional Wave
A wave in which the matter in the medium moves back and forth along the direction that the wave travels.
Sound Waves
Compressional waves.
Water Waves
Causes water to move back and forth, as well as up and down.
Seismic Waves
An elastic wave in the earth produced by an earthquake or other means.
Crests
The high point on the wave.
Troughs
low point of a wave.
Refaction
The less dense region of a compressional wave.
Wavelengths
The distance between one point on a wave and the nearest point just like it.
Frequency
The number of wavelengths that pass a fixed point each second. Measured in Hertz.
Amplitude
A measure of the size of the disturbance of a wave, related to the energy that it carries.
Refraction
the bending of a wave as it changes speed in moving from one medium to another.
Diffractions
The bending of waves around an obstacle. can also occur when waves pass through a narrow opening.
Interference
Occurs when two or more waves overlap and combine to form a new wave.
Standing Wave
A wave pattern that forms when waves of equal wavelength and amplitude, but traveling in opposite directions, continuously interfere with each other.
Resonance
the process by which an object is made to vibrate by absorbing energy at its natural frequencies.
Eardrum
Tough membrane in the outer ear that is about .1 mm thick and transmits sound vibrations into the middle of the ear.
Cochlea
Spiral-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear that converts sounds waves to nerve impulses.
Intensity
Amount of energy that flows through a certain area in a specific amount of time.
Loudness
Human perception of sound intensity.
Decibel
Unit for sound intensity.
Pitch
How high or low a sound seems; related to the frequency of sound waves.
Ultrasonic
Sound waves with frequencies above 20,000 Hz.
Doppler Effect
Change in pitch or frequency that occurs when a source of a sound is moving relative to a listener.
Overtone
Vibration whose frequency is a multiple of the fundamental frequency.
Acoustics
The study of sound.
Echolocation
Process in which objects are located by emitting sounds and interpreting sound waves that are reflected.
Sonar
System that uses the reflection of sound waves to detect objects under water.
