Wave vocab Flashcards
Medium
Matter through which a wave travels
Mechanical wave
A wave that can only travel through matter
Transverse wave
Wave in which the matter in the medium moves at right angles to the direction of the wave, has crests and troughs
Longitudinal wave
A wave in which he matter in the medium moves back and forth along the direction that the wave travels
Crest
The highest point on a transverse wave
Trough
The lowest point on a transverse wave
Compression
Denser region of a longitudinal wave
Rarefaction
The less-dense region of a longitudinal wave
Wavelength
Distance between one pint on a wave and the nearest point just like it
Frequency
The number of wavelengths that pass a fixed point each second; is expressed in hertz
Period
Horizontal row in the periodic table. The amount of time is takes one wavelength to pass a fixed point; is expressed in seconds
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 caused by a change in its speed as it travels from one medium to another
Diffraction
The bending of waves around an obstacle; can also occur when waves pass through a narrow opening
Wave
A repeating disturbance that transfers energy as it travels through matter or space
