Wave Vocabulary

Question 1

A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without requiring matter to move the entire distance.

Answer 1

Wave

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 to the direction of the wave.

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 that the wave travels.

Answer 5

Longitudinal Wave

Question 6

The highest point or peak of a wave.

Answer 6

Crest

Question 7

The lowest point or valley of a wave.

Answer 7

Trough

Question 8

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

Answer 8

Amplitude

Question 9

The distance from one crest to the next wave crest.

Answer 9

Wavelength

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

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 15

Electromagnetic Wave

Question 16

Energy that travels across distances in the form of electromagnetic waves.

Answer 16

Radiation

Question 17

The range of all electromagnetic frequencies.

Answer 17

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Question 18

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

Answer 18

Radio Waves

Question 19

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

Answer 19

Microwaves

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Infrared Light

Question 21

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

Answer 21

Ultraviolet Light

Question 22

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

Answer 22

x-Rays

Question 23

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

Answer 23

Gamma Rays

Question 24

The passage of waves through a medium.

Answer 24

Transmissions

Question 25

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

Answer 25

Absorption

Question 26

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

Answer 26

Scattering

Question 27

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

Answer 27

Polarization

Question 28

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

Answer 28

Prism

Question 29

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

Answer 29

Primary Colors

Question 30

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

Answer 30

Primary Pigment

Question 31

On a scale of 1 to 5, do you think you can pass this.

Answer 31

Don’t feel bad about a 1! 😜