What are Waves Vocabulary Flashcards
Energy
The ability to do work or cause change
Wave
A wave is a disturbance involving the transfer of energy from place to place
Medium
The material through which a wave travels
Mechanical Wave
A wave that requires a medium through which to travel
Vibration
A vibration is repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down motion
Transverse Wave
A wave that vibrates the medium at the right angles, or perpendicular, to the direction in which the wave travels
Crest
A high point on a transverse wave
Trough
A low point on a transverse wave
Longitudinal Wave
A wave that moves the medium in a direction parallel to the direction in which the wave travels
Compression
The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are close together
Rarefaction
The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are far apart
Surface Waves
A combination of a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave