Waves, Sound, and Light Flashcards
Wave
A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place
Energy
The ability to do work
Medium
The material a wave travels through
Mechanical Waves
Waves that require a medium to travel through
Produced when a source of energy causes a medium to vibrate
Transverse Waves
Waves that move through the medium at right angles to the direction the wave is traveling
Trough
The low part of a transverse wave
Crest
The high part of a transverse wave
Longitudinal Wave (Compressional Wave)
Waves that move the medium parallel to the direction the wave is traveling
Compression
Part of a longitudinal wave where the waves are close together
Rarefaction
Part of a longitudinal was where the waves are spread out
Amplitude
The maximum distance that the particles of the medium carrying the wave move away from their rest position
Wavelength
The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave
Ex: crest to crest, trough to trough
Frequency
The number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time
Hertz (Hz)
The unit of frequency
Reflection
The bouncing back of an object or wave when it hits a surface it cannot pass through
Refraction
The bending of waves as they enter a new medium at an angle
Diffraction
The bending of waves as they move around a barrier or pass through an opening
Sound Waves
A disturbance that travels through a medium as longitudinal (compressional) waves
Intensity
Loudness of Sound
The amount of energy that a wave carries past a certain area
Pitch
Human perception of the frequency of sound
Electromagnetic Waves
A transverse wave that transfers electrical and magnetic energy
Can travel through empty space as well as through mediums
