a wave in which the oscillations are at right-angles to the direction of energy transfer, e.g. water waves
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Longitudinal
a wave in which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer, e.g. sound waves
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Oscillate
to vibrate / swing from side to side with a regular frequency
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Frequency
the number of times that a wave / vibration repeats itself in a specified time period
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Amplitude
the maximum displacement that any particle in a wave achieves from its undisturbed position, measured in metres (m)
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Wavelength
the distance from one point on a wave to the equivalent point on the next wave, measured in metres (m), represented by the symbol l
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Period
the time taken for a wave to complete one oscillation; the time it takes for a particle in the wave to move backwards and forwards once around its undisturbed position
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Electromagnetic (EM) waves
a continuous spectrum of waves formed by electric and magnetic fields, ranging from high frequency gamma rays to low frequency radio waves
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Absorbed
to take in and retain (all or some) incident radiated energy
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Transmitted
when waves are sent out from a source or pass through a material
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Reflected
when a wave meets a boundary between two different materials and is bounced back
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Refracted
when a wave meets a boundary between two different materials and changes direction
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Refractive index
a measure of the extent to which light is refracted by a material
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Medium
a material or substance
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Normal
at right-angles to / perpendicular to
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Microwaves
electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 0.3 to 0.001 metres, used in satellite communication and cooking
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Infared
the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with a longer wavelength than light but a shorter wavelength than radio waves
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Ultraviolet
the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths shorter than light but longer than X-rays
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X-rays
the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths shorter than that of ultraviolet radiation but longer than gamma rays
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Gamma rays
high frequency, short wavelength electromagnetic waves; a type of nuclear radiation, emitted from a nucleus
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Ionising
refers to radiation that can cause atoms to lose or gain atoms, becoming ions
Studied by 39 people
