:() Flashcards
wave
a disturbance caused by a vibration; Waves travel away from the source that makes them.
Crest
the highest point of a wave
Trough
the lowest point of a wave
Amplitude
height or “strength” of a wave
Frequency
the number of cycles a wave completes in a period of time; the number of times something happens in a period of time
wavelength
the distance between one peak and the next on a wave
Period
the amount of time required for two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point in space; the reciprocal of frequency
Medium
The medium of a wave is any substance that carries the wave, or through which the wave travels.Ocean waves are carried by water, sound waves are carried by air, and. the seismic waves of an earthquake are carried by rock and soil.
Transverse wave
a wave that occurs when the particles of a medium are displaced perpendicularly to the direction of the wave
electromagnetic waves
a mode of energy transmission involving oscillating electrical and magnetic fields, that may travel through matter or a vacuum
longitudinal waves
a wave that occurs when the particles of a medium move parallel to the direction of the wave
compression waves
Compression waves are waves where the vibration is parallel to the direction of motion. The term ‘compression wave’ is usually reserved for use as a mechanical term, while longitudinal wave is much more common for what we’re talking about.
rarefaction
a change in the direction and velocity which occurs when a seismic or electromagnetic wave travels from one material into another of different density, state, or elasticity
Reflection
a change in the direction of a wave when it hits a barrier and bounces back
Refraction
a change in the direction and velocity which occurs when a seismic or electromagnetic wave travels from one material into another of different density, state, or elasticity
