Waves Flashcards
Wave
A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place.
Energy
The ability to do work or cause change.
Medium
The material through which a wave travels.
Mechanical Wave
A wave that requires a medium to travel.
Vibration
A repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down motion.
Transverse Wave
A wave that moves the medium at right angles to the direction the wave travels.
Crest
The highest point of a transverse wave.
Trough
The lowest part of a transverse wave.
Longitudinal Wave
A wave that moves the medium in a direction parallel to the direction the wave travels.
Compression
The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are close together.
Rarefaction
The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are far apart.
Surface Wave
A wave that combines transverse and longitudinal waves that travel along a surface that separates two mediums.
