Wave
a disturbance involving the transfer of energy from place to place
Medium
the material through which a wave travels
Mechanical Wave
waves that require a medium to travel
Vibration
a repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down motion
Transverse Wave
a wave that vibrates the medium at right angles 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
vibrates the medium in the same direction in which the wave travels
Compression
an area where the coils are close together
Rarefaction
an area where the coils are spread out
Amplitude
the maximum distance the medium vibrates from the rest position
Wavelength
the distance between two corresponding parts of a wavelength
Frequency
the number of waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time
Hertz
the unit that frequency is measured in
Reflection
the interaction when a wave hits a surface, any part of the wave that cannot pass through the surface bounces back.
Refraction
the bending of waves due to a change in speed
Diffraction
the wave interaction when a wave moves around a barrier or through an opening in a barrier, it bends and spreads out
