Wave Vocabulary

Question 1

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

Answer 1

Waves

Question 2

A substance through which a wave moves.

Answer 2

Medium

Question 3

A wave such as a sound or seismic wave that transfers kinetic energy through matter.

Answer 3

Mechanical Wave

Question 4

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

Answer 4

Transverse Wave

Question 5

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

Answer 5

Longitudinal Wave

Question 6

The highest point or peak of the wave.

Answer 6

Crest

Question 7

The lowest point or valley of the wave.

Answer 7

Trough

Question 8

The maximum distance that a disturbance causes a medium to move in its rest position.

Answer 8

Amplitude

Question 9

The distance from one crest to the next wave crest.

Answer 9

Wave Length

Question 10

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

Answer 10

Frequency

Question 11

The bouncing back of a wave after it hits a barrier.

Answer 11

Reflection

Question 12

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

Answer 12

Refraction

Question 13

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

Answer 13

Diffraction

Question 14

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

Answer 14

Interference

Question 15

The range of all electromagnetic frequencies.

Answer 15

Electromagnetic Spectrum.

Question 16

Energy that travels across distances in form of electromagnetic waves.

Answer 16

Radiation

Question 17

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

Answer 17

Radio Waves

Question 18

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

Answer 18

Microwaves

Question 19

Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with a frequency between those of microwaves and visible light.

Answer 19

Infrared Light

Question 20

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of wave frequencies higher than those of visible light and lower than X-Rays.

Answer 20

Ultraviolet Light

Question 21

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with high frequencies and high energies; electromagnetic frequencies ranging from 10 to the 16th power and to the 10 to the 21st power hertz.

Answer 21

X-Rays

Question 22

Part of the electromagnetic that consists of waves with the highest frequencies.

Answer 22

Gamma Rays

Question 23

The passage of waves through a medium.

Answer 23

Transmission

Question 24

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

Answer 24

Absorption

Question 25

The spreading out of light waves in all directions as particles reflect and absorb the light.

Answer 25

Scattering

Question 26

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

Answer 26

Primary Colors

Question 27

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

Answer 27

Primary Pigment.

Question 28

An optical tool that uses reflection of light (red, yellow, and blue) that can be mixed to produce all possible colors.

Answer 28

Prism

Question 29

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

Answer 29

Polarization

Question 30

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

Answer 30

Electromagnetic Waves