Waves Vocabulary

Question 1

2. Medium

Answer 1

2. Is any substance that a wave moves through.

Question 2

3. Mechanical wave

Answer 2

3. Waves that transfer energy through matter.

Question 3

4. Transverse wave

Answer 3

4. The direction in which the wave travels is perpendicular, or at right angles, to the direction of the disturbance.

Question 4

5. Longitudinal wave

Answer 4

5. The wave travels in the same direction as the disturbance.

Question 5

6. Crest

Answer 5

6. A crest is the highest point, or peak of a wave.

Question 6

7. Trough

Answer 6

7. A trough is the lowest point, or valley of a wave.

Question 7

8. Amplitude

Answer 7

8. For a transverse wave is the distance between a line through the middle of a wave and a crest or trough.

Question 8

9. Wavelength

Answer 8

9. The distance from one wave crest to the very next crest.

Question 9

10. Frequency

Answer 9

The number of waves passing a fixed point in a certain amount of time.

Question 10

11. Reflection

Answer 10

11. The bouncing back of a wave after it strikes a barrier.

Question 11

12. Refraction

Answer 11

12. Refraction is the bending of a wave as it enters a new medium at an angle other than 90 degrees.

Question 12

13. Diffraction

Answer 12

13. Diffraction is the spreading out of waves through an opening or around the edge of an obstacle.

Question 13

14. Interference

Answer 13

14. Interference is the meeting and combining of waves.

Question 14

15. Transmission

Answer 14

15. Transmission is the passage of an EM wave through a medium.

Question 15

16. Absorption

Answer 15

16. Absorption is the disappearance of an EM wave into a medium.

Question 16

17. Scattering

Answer 16

17. Scattering is the spreading out of light rays in all directions, because particles reflect and absorb the light.

Question 17

18. Polarization

Answer 17

18. Polarization is a quality of light in which all of its waves vibrate in the same direction.

Question 18

19. Prism

Answer 18

19. A prism is a tool that uses refraction to spread out the different wavelengths that make up white light.

Question 19

20. Primary colors

Answer 19

20. These three colors of light, which can be mixed to produce all possible colors.

Question 20

21. Primary pigments

Answer 20

21. The primary pigments are cyan, yellow, and magenta.

Question 21

22. Electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 21

22. The range of all EM frequencies.

Question 22

23. Radio waves

Answer 22

23. Radio waves are EM waves that have the longest wavelengths, the lowest frequencies, and the lowest energies.

Question 23

24. Microwaves

Answer 23

24. Microwaves are EM waves with shorter wavelengths, higher frequencies,and higher energy than other radio waves.

Question 24

25. Visible light

Answer 24

25. Visible light is the part of the EM spectrum that human eyes can see.

Question 25

26. Infrared light

Answer 25

26. The infrared light part of the spectrum consists of EM frequencies between microwaves and visible light.

Question 26

27. Ultraviolet

Answer 26

27. The ultraviolet light part of the EM spectrum consists of frequencies above those of visible light and partially below those of x-rays.

Question 27

28. X-Rays

Answer 27

28. X-Rays have frequencies from about 1016 Hz to 1021 Hz.

Question 28

29. Gamma Rays

Answer 28

29. Gamma rays have frequencies from about 1019 Hz to more than 1024 Hz.

Question 29

1. Wave

Answer 29

1. A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another.