SCIENCE: waves

Wave

disturbance that carries energy from place to place.

Mechanical wave

requires medium for its propagation

Electromagnetic wave

travels in space, medium is not required for the propagation

Transverse wave

vibrations are perpendicular to the direction of wave travel.

longitudinal wave

the vibrations are parallel to the direction of wave travel.

Amplitude

height of the wave

Wavelength

distance between identical points in the adjacent cycles of crests of a wave

Period

time for a particle on a medium to make one complete vibrational cycle

Frequency

number of waves passing a point in a certain time.

Speed

how fast an object moves and is usually expressed as the distance traveled per time of travel.

Electromagnetic wave

made by vibrating electric charges and can travel through space by transferring energy between vibrating electric and magnetic fields.

Electromagnetic wave

Do not need matter to transfer energy

electric field

a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other charged particles or objects.

magnetic field

a region of space near a magnet in which a magnetic force acts on any other magnet

Radio waves

What EM wave has a the lowest frequency and longest wavelength

Radio waves

Used to broadcast radio and television

microwaves

used in cooking, radar, telephone and other signals

infrared waves

transmits heat from sun, fires, radiators

visible light

makes things able to be seen

ultraviolet rays

absorbed by the skin, used in fluorescent tubes

xrays

used to view inside of bodies and objects

Gamma rays

What EM wave has the highest frequency and the shortest wavelength

Gamma rays

used in medicine for killing cancer cells