Waves Flashcards
A substance through which a wave moves
Medium
A wave, such as a sound wave or seismic wave, that transfers kinetic energy through matter.
Mechanical Wave
A type of wave in which the disturbance moves at right angles, or perpendicular, to the direction in which the wave travels.
Transverse Wave
A type of wave in which the disturbance moves in the same direction that the wave travels.
Longitudinal Wave
The highest point, or peak, of a wave.
Crest
The lowest point, or valley, of a wave.
Trough
The maximum distance that a disturbance causes a medium to move from its rest position; the distance between a crest or trough of a wave and line through the center of a wave.
Amplitude
The distance from one wave peak or crest to the next peak or crest.
Wavelength
The number of waves that pass a fixed point in a given amount of time, usually one second; the number of cycles per unit time.
Frequency
The bouncing back of a wave after it strikes a barrier.
Reflection
The bending of a wave as it crosses the boundary between two mediums at an angle other than 90 degrees.
Refraction
The spreading out of waves as they pass through an opening or around the edges of an obstacle.
Diffraction
The meeting and combining of waves; the adding or subtracting of wave amplitudes that occurs as waves overlap.
Interference
A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without requiring matter to move the entire distance.
Wave