Wave Characteristics and Electromagnetic Radiation

Vocabulary flashcards covering wave characteristics, equations, optics, refraction, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Amplitude

The height between the center line and the peak of a wave, or half the vertical distance between the highest point and lowest point: $\text{Amplitude} = \frac{\text{highest point} - \text{lowest point}}{2}$.

Wavelength

The distance or length of one complete wave cycle, represented by the Greek letter Lambda ($\lambda$) and measured in meters ($\text{m}$) or nanometers ($\text{nm}$).

Period ($T$)

The time required to complete one single wave cycle, calculated as total time divided by the number of cycles ($T = \frac{\text{time}}{\text{number of cycles}}$) and measured in seconds ($\text{s}$).

Frequency ($f$)

The number of wave cycles that occur in one second, equal to the reciprocal of the period ($f = \frac{1}{T}$) and measured in Hertz ($\text{Hz}$).

Hertz ($\text{Hz}$)

The unit of measurement for frequency, equivalent to one cycle per second or inverse seconds ($\text{s}^{-1}$).

Speed of Light ($c$)

The speed at which light travels in a vacuum or empty space, equal to $3 \times 10^8\,\text{m/s}$.

Planck's Constant ($h$)

A fundamental constant equal to $6.626 \times 10^{-34}\,\text{J}\cdot\text{s}$, used in the equation $E = h f$ to determine photon energy.

Refraction

The bending of light as it passes from one material into another due to a change in the speed of light and wavelength.

Index of Refraction ($n$)

A measure of how much light slows down in a given material, defined as $n = \frac{c}{V}$, where $c$ is the speed of light in a vacuum and $V$ is the speed of light in the material.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The complete range of electromagnetic waves ordered by frequency and wavelength, ranging from long-wavelength, low-energy radio waves to short-wavelength, high-energy gamma rays and cosmic radiation.

Visible Light Spectrum

The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to humans, spanning wavelengths from approximately $400\,\text{nm}$ (violet light) to $700\,\text{nm}$ (red light).

Electron Volt ($\text{eV}$)

A unit of energy equal to $1.602 \times 10^{-19}\,\text{J}$, used to express small energy quantities such as photon energy.