Waves Vocabulary Flashcards
Frequency
is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency, which emphasizes the contrast to spatial frequency and angular frequency. The period is the duration of time of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency.
period
a length or portion of time.
Wavelength
the distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave
crest
A crest is the point on a wave with the maximum value of upward displacement within a cycle. A crest is a point on a surface wave where the displacement of the medium is at a maximum. A trough is the opposite of a crest, so the minimum or lowest point in a cycle.
trough
A trough is the opposite of a crest, so the minimum or lowest point in a cycle.
medium
It’s a type of matter in a mechanical wave
Amplitude
Amplitude, in physics, the maximum displacement or distance moved by a point on a vibrating body or wave measured from its equilibrium position. It is equal to one-half the length of the vibration path.
longitudinal wave
a wave vibrating in the direction of propagation.
electromagnetic spectrum
the range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation extends.
transverse wave
a wave vibrating at right angles to the direction of its propagation.
Compression
a longitudinal wave such as a sound wave propagated by the elastic compression of the medium is called also compression wave.
Rare fraction
Rarefaction is the reduction of an item’s density, the opposite of compression. Like compression, which can travel in waves sound waves, for instance, rarefaction waves also exist in nature. A common rarefaction wave is the area of low relative pressure following a shock wave see picture.
reflection
Reflection is the change in direction of a wavefront at an interface between two different media so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated. Common examples include the reflection of light, sound and water waves.
refraction
the fact or phenomenon of light, radio waves, etc. being deflected in passing obliquely through the interface between one medium and another or through a medium of varying density.
diffraction
Diffraction refers to various phenomena that occur when a wave encounters an obstacle or a slit. It is defined as the bending of waves around the corners of an obstacle or aperture into the region of geometrical shadow of the obstacle.
