Waves Flashcards
Wave
A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without requiring matter to move the entire distance
Medium
A substance through which a wave moves
Mechanical wave
A wave such as a sound or seismic wave that kinetic energy through matter
Transverse wave
A wave the disturbance moves at right angles to the direction of a wave
Longitudinal wave
A type of wave in which the disturbance move 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
Wavelength
The disturbance from one crest to the next wave crest
Frequency
The number of waves that pass a fixed point in a given period of time
Reflection
The bouncing back of a wave after it hits a barrier
Refraction
The bending of lights as it crosses a boundary between two mediums at an angle other then 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 occur as waves overlap
Electromagnetic spectrum
A type of wave such as a light wave or radio wave that does not require a medium to travel through a disturbance that transfers energy through a field
