Waves And Light Flashcards
Medium
Is the material through which a waves travels.
Waves
Is a disturbance that transfers energy from one places to another.
Longitudinal Waves
Particles move back and forth in the same direction that the waves travels or parallel to the waves.
Transfers wave
The spring’s coils move up and down as the waves passes.
Mechanical waves
Waves that require a medium.
Electromagnetic waves
Are disturbance in electric and magnetic fields.
Amplitude
Is a measure of how far particles in the medium move away from their normal rest position.
Wavelength
Is the distance over which the wave’s shape repeats.
Wave Period
Is the time required for one cycle.
Frequency
Tell you how many cycle occur in an amount of time.
Hertz
Is equal to one cycle per sound.
Wavefronts
Peaks Can be drawn as shapes such as circles or spheres.
Wave speed
Depends on the properties of the medium.
Radiation
Is the transfer of energy as EM waves.
Electromagnetic (EM) spectrum
Visible light represents only a very small part of the range of frequencies (or wavelength) that an EM wave can have.
Infrared or IR
Light has slightly longer wavelengths then red lights.
Ultraviolet or UV
Light has slightly shorter wavelengths than violet light.
Transparent
Air,water,and some types of glass are transparent materials.
Translucent
Materials transmit light but do not let the light travel straight through.
Opaque
Materials do not let any light pass through them.
Absorption
Is the transfer of light energy to matter.
Reflection
The bouncing of light off a surface.
Refraction
Is the change in direction of a wave as it passes from one medium into another at an angle.
Scattering
Occurs when light is sent in many directions as it passes through a medium.
