waves and sound

What is a wave?

A disturbance that transmits energy through matter or space.

What is a medium?

A substance through which a wave can travel, such as water, air, or a table.

What are mechanical longitudinal waves?

Waves in which the movement of the medium is parallel to the direction of the wave.

What is frequency?

The number of waves produced in a given period of time, measured in Hertz (Hz).

What is pitch?

How low or high you perceive a sound to be.

What is infrasonic?

Frequencies lower than 20 Hz.

What is ultrasonic?

Frequencies higher than 20,000 Hz.

What is the Doppler Effect?

The apparent change in the frequency of a sound caused by the motion of the listener or the source of the sound.

What is loudness?

How loud or soft sound is perceived to be, measured in decibels.

What is resonance?

Occurs when an object vibrates at or near a resonant frequency of a second object, causing that object to vibrate.

What are constructive and destructive interference?

Constructive interference occurs when compressions overlap, increasing amplitude; destructive interference occurs when compressions overlap with rarefactions, reducing amplitude.

What is a compressional wave?

A wave where the medium's particles vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave, like sound waves.

What are transverse waves?

Waves where the medium's particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the wave.

What is wave speed?

The speed at which a wave travels through a medium.

What are the two types of waves?

Mechanical waves and Electromagnetic waves.

What are the two types of mechanical waves?

Transverse waves and Longitudinal waves.

What is a transverse wave?

A wave where particles move at 90-degree angles to the direction of wave travel.

What is a longitudinal wave?

A wave where particles vibrate along the same path the wave is traveling.

What is a rarefaction in a wave?

The area in a longitudinal wave where particles are spread apart.

What is compression in a wave?

The area in a longitudinal wave where particles are close together.

What is amplitude?

The height of a transverse wave above or below the line of rest.

What is wavelength?

The distance between two corresponding points on a wave, such as crests or troughs.

What is frequency?

The number of crests or troughs to pass a given point in a certain amount of time.

What is the SI unit for frequency?

Hertz (Hz).

What is the crest of a wave?

The highest point on a wave.

What is the trough of a wave?

The lowest point between two crests.

What happens when transverse and longitudinal waves meet?

Surface waves can occur.

Amplitude

The maximum distance the wave vibrates from its rest position.

Wavelength

The distance between any two adjacent crests or compressions.

Frequency

The number of waves produced in a given amount of time.

Hertz (Hz)

The unit of frequency expressing the number of waves per second.

Energy of Waves

Waves with small amplitude have low energy, while waves with large amplitude have high energy.

Wave Speed

The speed at which a wave travels.

Crest

The highest point of a wave.

Trough

The lowest point of a wave.

Compression

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

Rarefaction

The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart.

Transverse Wave

A wave in which the particle movement is perpendicular to the wave movement.

Longitudinal Wave

A wave in which the particle movement is parallel to the wave movement.

Wave

Any disturbance that transmits energy through matter or space.

Medium

A substance through which a wave can travel.

Mechanical Wave

Waves that require a medium to travel through.

Electromagnetic Wave

Waves that do not require a medium to travel.

Transverse Wave

A wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling.

Crest

The highest point of a transverse wave.

Trough

The lowest point between each crest in a wave.

Longitudinal Wave

A wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate back and forth along the path which the wave travels.

Compression

A section of a longitudinal wave where the particles are crowded together.

Rarefaction

A section of a longitudinal wave where the particles are less crowded than normal.

Wave Energy

A wave carries energy.

Examples of Mechanical Waves

Sound waves and ocean waves.

Examples of Electromagnetic Waves

Visible light and microwaves.

Example of Longitudinal Wave

Compressed air.

Angle of Incidence

Angle between the incident wave and the normal.

Angle of Reflection

Angle between the reflected wave and the normal.