Waves Test Flashcards
What is a wave
A disturbance that transmits energy
What is a medium
A substance through which a wave can originate (gasses, liquids, solids)
Describe a transverse wave
A wave that moves perpendicular
Describe a longitudinal wave
A wave that moves parallel
What type of wave is sound
A longitudinal wave that needs a medium
What is an electromagnetic wave, what makes it different from the other waves?
Waves that don’t need a medium and can travel through a vacuum
What is a crest
The highest part of a wave
What is the trough
Lowest part of the wave
What is amplitude
The distance from midpoint to crest
What is wave length
Distance from crest to crest
What is frequency
Number of crests in a wave (hertz)
What is the only part of the electromagnetic spectrum we can see
Visible light
What is the acronym for visible light
ROY G BIV
How are we able to see objects in different colors
The surface of an object reflects while the rest is absorbed
What happens to the energy as the wavelength shortens
The energy increases
What happens to the energy as the wavelength increases
The energy decreases
What is reflection
When light bounces back
What is refraction
As light bends when it moves through one medium to another
What is diffraction
When light passes through something so it bends
What is absorption
When colors are either reflected or absorbed
Does sound travel faster in a solid, liquid, or gas.
Gas because the molecules are more spread out
