Unit 10 Waves SPS9

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to waves, including definitions for terms such as amplitude, wavelength, and the Doppler effect.

Wave

A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place.

Mechanical Wave

A wave that requires a medium through which to travel.

Electromagnetic Wave

A form of energy that can move through the vacuum of space.

Medium

Matter through which a wave travels.

Amplitude

The height of a wave's crest from the rest position.

Crest

The highest point of a transverse wave.

Trough

The lowest point of a transverse wave.

Wavelength

The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave.

Compression

The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are close together.

Rarefaction

A part in a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart.

Frequency

The number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time.

Doppler Effect

An observed change in the frequency of a wave when the source or observer is moving.

Interference

The combination of two or more waves that results in a single wave.

Diffraction

The bending of a wave as it moves around an obstacle or passes through a narrow opening.

Reflection

The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface through which it cannot pass.

Refraction

The bending of a wave as it passes at an angle from one medium to another.