Waves 2 Flashcards
What are waves
Rhythmic disturbances that carry energy without carrying matter
Mechanical waves
A mechanical wave needs matter (or medium) to transfer energy
Electromagnetic waves
Electromagnetic Waves – DO NOT NEED matter (or medium) to transfer energy
They do not need a medium, but they can go through matter (medium)
Which wave has the longest wavelength, but the lowest frequency
Radio waves
Which has a smaller wavelength than radio but longer than infrared
Microwaves
Infrared
Shorter wavelength than both microwaves and radio waves but has a higher frequency than both.
Visible light
It’s longest wavelength is red and its shortest is violet. ROY G. BIV or Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet
Ultraviolet
UV waves can carry more energy than visible light waves. They are both good and bad for you.
X-rays
Can carry a huge amount of energy and can penetrate most matter
Gamma
The shortest wavelength but the highest frequency. Gamma waves have the most amount of energy of all of the waves.
Crest
is the highest point on a wave.
Trough
is the valley between two waves, is the lowest point.
Wavelength
The distance between one point on a wave and the exact same place on the next wave.
Amplitude
How far the medium moves from rest position (where it is when not moving).
Frequency
How many waves go past a point in one second; unit of measurement is hertz
Longitudinal waves
A mechanical wave in which matter in the medium moves forward and backward along the same direction that the wave travels.
Compression
the part of the compressional wave where the particles are crowded together.
Rarefaction
the part of the compressional wave where the particles are spread apart.
Reflection
When waves bounce off a surface
Refraction
Waves can bend.This happens when a wave enters a new medium and its SPEED CHANGES.
Diffraction
The bending of waves AROUND an object.
Period
The beginning of one pulse to another pulse
Speed=
frequency times wavelength
Frequency=
Speed divided by wavelength
