Waves Vocabulary Flashcards
The number of waves that pass a given point in a set period of time
frequency
A length of time
period
The distance between crest to crest or trough to trough of a wave
Wavelength
The highest point of a wave
crest
The lowest point of a wave
trough
The decrease in density of a medium and a Compressional wave
rarefraction
Matter through which a mechanical wave travels
Medium
The distance from the resting point to the crest of a wave
amplitude
Time for a complete cycle to pass a given point
Period
The transfer of energy without transferring matter
Wave
A wave in which energy travels perpendicular to the direction of the disturbance
Transverse wave
A wave that does not need a medium to travel through
Electromagnetic waves
A wave in which the energy travels in the same direction as the disturbance
Longitudinal wave
Compression
The point in a longitudinal wave where the matter is pushed closer together
Reflection
When waves strike a surface and bounce back in another direction
