Wave Vocab Flashcards
The transfer of energy without transferring matter
Wave
The highest point or peak of a wave
Crest
The lowest point or valley of a wave
Trough
The distance from the resting point to the crest of a wave
Amplitude
The distance from crest to crest or through to trough in a wave
Wavelength
The number of waves that pass a given point in a set 
Frequency
Time for a complete cycle to pass a given point
Period 
Matter through which a mechanical wave travels:
Medium
wave in which the energy travels perpendicular to the direction of the disturbance
Transverse waves
A wave that does not need a medium to travel through:
Electromagnetic waves
A wave in which the energy travels in the same direction as the disturbance: Longitudinal
Longitudinal
The point in a longitudinal wave where the matter is pushed closer together:
Compression
The point in a longitudinal wave where the matter is spaced farther apart:
Rare fraction
When waves strike a surface and bounce back in another direction
Reflection
The bending of waves as they pass through a material:
 R efraction