Waves Flashcards
Frequency
The rate of vibration is called the frequency of the sound.
Period
a length of time
Wavelength
the distance between one peak and the next on a wave
Crest
the highest point of a wave
Trough
The lowest point of a wave is called a trough.
Medium
an intervening substance, as air, through which a force acts or an effect is produced.
Amplitude
height or “strength” of a wave
Longitudinal wave
Longitudinal waves have areas of compression, where particules of the medium are closest together, and rarefactions, where the particles are farthest apart.
electromagnetic spectrum
The movement of electrical charges contains energy.
Transverse wave
The motion of trnsverse waves creates crests and troughs. Amplitude is the distance from crest to crest or trough to trough.
Compression
occurs when rocks are squeezed by external forces directed toward one another to put stress on the rock, acting to decrease its volume or shorten its dimensions
Rarefraction
Longitudinal waves carry particles of medium in the same direction as the wave.
reflection
This illustration shows the process of reflection when light strikes a smooth surface.
Refraction
Examines the behavior of light as it reflects and refracts off different objects.
Diffraction
Examines the behavior of light as it reflects and refracts off different objects.
