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Transverse Wave
A wave where particles move perpendicular to the direction of wave motion; the waves move up and down
Longitudinal Wave
A wave where particles move parallel to the direction of wave motion; the waves move in and out
Wave
A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another.
Oscillation
Moving back and forth at a regular rate.
Medium
The material through which a wave moves.
Wavelength
The distance between two consecutive compressions or rarefactions in a longitudinal wave.
Frequency
The number of oscillations a point on a wave undergoes per unit time.
Mechanical Waves
Waves that require a medium to propagate.
Electromagnetic Waves
Waves consisting of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that do not require a medium.
Period
The time taken for a point on a wave to complete one oscillation.
Reflection
Waves bouncing off the edge of a medium back into the same medium.
Interference
The combining of two or more waves occupying the same space.
Resonance
Objects oscillating with increasing amplitude when stimulated with vibrations of a specific frequency.
Diffraction
Waves bending around objects, providing evidence of wave behavior.
