Wave Vocab Flashcards
Wave
A disturbance caused by a vibration; waves travel away from the force that makes them
Crest
The highest point of a wave
Trough
The lowest point of a wave
Amplitude
Height to “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
Wave Period
The amount of time required for successive wave crests to pass a fixed point in space; the reciprocal of frequency
Medium
A substance that makes possible the transfer of energy from one location to another, especially in waves
Transverse wave
A wave that occurs when the particles of a medium are displaced perpendicular to the direction of the wave
Electromagnetic wave
A wave that can transport energy through a vacuum
Longitude wave
A wave that a occurs when the particles of a medium move parallel to the direction of the wave
Wave Compression
A compression is a region in a longitude wave where the particles are closest together
Rarefraction
Area of decreased pressure following compression as a longitude wave propagates
Reflection
A change in the direction of a wave when it hits a barrier and bounces back
Refractions
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
