Wave Vocab

Question 1

Wave

Answer 1

A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another with out requiring matter to move the entire distance

Question 2

Medium

Answer 2

A substance in which a wave moves

Question 3

A mechanical wave

Answer 3

a wave such as a sound on seismic wave that transfers kinetic energy through matter

Question 4

Transverse wave

Answer 4

A wave in which the disturbance moves at right angles to the direction of the wave

Question 5

Longitudinal wave

Answer 5

A type of wave in which the disturbance moves in the same direction that the wave travels.

Question 6

Crest

Answer 6

the highest point or peak of a wave

Question 7

Trough

Answer 7

the lowest point or valley of a wave

Question 8

Amplitude

Answer 8

the maximum distance that a disturbance causes a medium to move from its resting postition

Question 9

Wave length

Answer 9

the distance from one crest to the next wave crest

Question 10

Frequency

Answer 10

The number of waves that pass through a fixed point in a given period of time

Question 11

Reflection

Answer 11

the throwing back of a wave after it hits its barrier

Question 12

Refraction

Answer 12

the bending of light as it crosses boundary between two mediums at an angle other than 90 degrees

Question 13

Diffraction

Answer 13

the spreading out of waves as they pass through an opening or around the edges of an obstacle

Question 14

Interference

Answer 14

The meeting and combining of waves: the adding or subtracting of a wave amplitudes that occur as waves overlap

Question 15

Electromagnetic waves

Answer 15

A type of wave such as light waves or radio waves that do not require a medium to travel through a disturbance that transfers energy through a field

Question 16

Radiation

Answer 16

Energy that travels across distances in the form of electromagnetic waves

Question 17

Electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 17

A range of all electromagnetic frequencies

Question 18

Radio wave

Answer 18

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves of the lowest frequencies

Question 19

Microwave

Answer 19

Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with a higher frequency than radio waves but lower frequencies than infrared waves

Question 20

Infrared light

Answer 20

Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with frequencies between those of microwaves and visible light

Question 21

Ultraviolet light

Answer 21

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of wave frequencies higher than those of visible light and lower than
x-rays

Question 22

X-ray

Answer 22

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum consists of waves with high frequencies and high energies electromagnetic wave with frequencies ranging from 10 to the 16th to 10 to the 21 power of hertz e

Question 23

Gamma ray

Answer 23

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with high frequencies

Question 24

Transmission of light

Answer 24

The passage of waves through a medium

Question 25

Asorbtion

Answer 25

The disappearance of a wave into a medium. The energy transferred by a wave is converted into a form of energy

Question 26

Scattering

Answer 26

The spreading out of light wave in all different directions as particles reflect and absorb the light

Question 27

Polarization

Answer 27

A way of filtering light so that all of the waves vibrate in the same direction

Question 28

A prism

Answer 28

An optical tool that uses the reflection of light to separate the different wavelengths that make up white light

Question 29

Primary colors

Answer 29

The colors of light (red, yellow, and blue) that can be mixed to produce all possible colors

Question 30

Primary pigment

Answer 30

Three color of substances (cyan, yellow, and magenta) that can be mixed to produce all possible colors