Wave Vocabulary

Question 1

Medium

Answer 1

A substance through which a wave moves

Question 2

Mechanical wave

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Transverse wave

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Longitudinal wave

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Crest

Answer 5

The highest point or peak of a wave

Question 6

Trough

Answer 6

He lowest point or valley of a wave.

Question 7

Amplitude

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Wavelength

Answer 8

The distance from one crest to the next wave crest

Question 9

Frequency

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Reflection

Answer 10

The bouncing back of a wave after it hits a barrier

Question 11

Refraction

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Diffraction

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Interference

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Electromagnetic wave

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Radiation

Answer 15

Energy that travels across distances in the form of electromagnetic waves

Question 16

Electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 16

The range of all electromagnetic frequencies

Question 17

Radio waves

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Microwaves

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Infrared light

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Ultraviolet light

Answer 20

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

Question 21

X rays

Answer 21

The part of electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with high frequencies and high energies electromagnetic wave with frequencies ranging from 10 to the

Question 22

Gamma rays

Answer 22

Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with the highest frequency

Question 23

Transmissions

Answer 23

The passage of through a medium

Question 24

Absorption

Answer 24

The disappearance of a wave into a medium the energy transfers by a wave is converted into another from of energy

Question 25

Scattering

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Polarization

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Prism

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Primary colors

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Primary pigments

Answer 29

Three color of substance cyan yellow and magenta that can be mixed to produce any possible colors