Waves Flashcards
(21 cards)
Frequency
The rate of vibration is frequency of sound or How many waves go past a point in one second.
Period
The period of a wave is the time it takes for two successive crests to pass a fixed point
wavelength
The distance from crest to crest or trough to trough
Crest
The highest point of a wave
Trough
The lowest point of the wave
Medium
An intervening substance, as air, through which a force acts or an effect is produced
Amplitude
The height or strength of a wave
Longitudinal wave
A wave that occurs when the particles of a medium move parallel to the direction of the wave
Electromagnetic spectrum
The full range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves
Transverse wave
A wave that occurs when the particles of a medium are displaced perpendicularly to the direction of the wave
Compression
Occurs when rocks are squeezed by external forces directed toward one another to put stress on the rock, acting to decrees it’s volume or shorten its dimensions
Rare fraction
The decrease in density of a medium in a congressional wave or longitudinal wave. Or when the particles move farther a part
Reflection
To strike a surface and bounce back in the opposite direction
Refraction
To bend light as it goes through material
Diffraction
The slight bending of light as moving through or around an object
Mechanical wave
Unlike electromagnetic waves, mechanical waves need a medium to travel through.
To find speed you,
Multiply frequency and wavelength(lambda)
To find frequency you,
Divide speed by wavelength(lambda)
Electromagnetic wave
Unlike mechanical waves, these waves don’t need a medium to travel through
To find wavelength (lambda) you,
Divide speed by frequency
Compressional wave
Waves in which the medium moves back and forth in the same direction as the wave. There parts contain compression and rare fraction. Examples are sound waves. They need a medium to travel through
