Waves Flashcards
Medium
A substance through which a wave moves
Mechanical Wave
A wave, such as sound wave or seismic wave, that transfers kinetic energy through matter.
Transverse Wave
A type of wave in which the disturbance moves at right angles, or perpendicular, to the direction in which the wave travels
Longitudinal Wave
A type of wave in which the disturbance moves in the same direction that the wave travels
Crest
The highest point, or peak, of a wave
Trough
The lowest point, or valley, of a wave
Amplitude
The maximum distance that a disturbance causes a medium to move from its rest position; the distance between the crest or trough of a wave and line through the center of the wave
Wavelength
The distance from one wave peak or crest to the next peak or crest. Wavelength can be measured as the distance from any part of one wave to the identical part of the next wave
Frequency
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
Reflection
The bouncing back of a wave after it strikes a barrier
Refraction
The bending of a wave as it crosses the boundary between to mediums at an angle other than 90 degrees
Diffraction
The spreading out of waves as they pass through an opening or around the edges of an obstacle
Interference
The meeting and combining of waves; the adding or subtracting of wave amplitudes that occurs as waves overlap
Electromagnet Wave
A type of wave, such as a light wave or radio wave, that does not require a medium to travel; a disturbance that transfers energy through a field
Radiation
Energy that travel across distances in the form of electromagnet waves
Electromagnet Spectrum
The range of all electromagnetic frequencies, including the following types (from lowest to highest frequency): radio waves, microwaves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, and gamma rays
Radio Waves
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with the lowest frequencies
Microwaves
Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves higher frequencies than radio waves, but lower frequencies than infrared waves
Visible Light
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves detectable by the human eye
Infrared Light
Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with frequencies between those of microwaves and visible light
Ultraviolet Light
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with lower frequencies higher than those of visible light and lower than those of x-rays
X-rays
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with high frequencies and high energies; electromagnetic waves with frequencies ranging from more than 10 16 hertz to more than 10 21 hertz
Wave
A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without requiring matter to move the entire distance
