Vocabulary Flashcards
the number of cycles a wave completes in a period of time; the number of times something happens in a period of time
Frequency
a length of time (related word: periodic)
Period
the distance between one peak and the next on a wave
Wavelength
the highest point of a wave
Crest
the lowest point of a wave
Trough
height or “strength” of a wave
Amplitude
a wave that occurs when the particles of a medium move parallel to the direction of the wave
Longitudinal Wave
the full range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves
Electromagnetic Spectrum
a wave that occurs when the particles of a medium are displaced perpendicularly to the direction of the wave
Transverse Wave
occurs when rocks are squeezed by external forces directed toward one another to put stress on the rock, acting to decrease its volume or shorten its dimensions
Compression
The decreasing of density in an longitudinal Wave
Rare fraction
to strike a surface and bounce back in the opposite direction (related word: reflection)
Reflection
to bend light as it passes through a material (related word: refraction)
Refraction
An intervening substance, as air, through which a force acts or an effect is produced.
Medium
The bending of light going through or around an object
Diffraction
