Waves Flashcards
a periodic disturbance in a solid, liquid or gas as energy is transmitted through a medium.
Wave
a physical environment in which phenomena occur
medium
a wave in which the particles of the medium move perpendicularly to the direction the wave is traveling.
transverse wave
a wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave motion.
longitudinal wave
the maximum distance that the particles of a wave’s medium vibrate from their rest position.
amplitude
the distance from any point on a wave to an identical point on the next wave.
wavelength
the number of waves produced in a given amount of time.
frequency
the speed at which a wave travels through a medium
wave speed
the bouncing back of a ray of light, sound, or heat when the ray hits a surface that it does not go through.
reflection
the bending of a wave as the wave passes between two substances in which the speed of the wave differs.
refraction
a change in the direction of a wave when the wave finds an obstacle or an edge, such as an opening.
diffraction
the combination of two or more waves that result in a single wave.
interference
a pattern of vibration that simulates a wave standing still.
standing wave