WAVES

Wave

A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place

Transverse Wave

A wave in which the particles of the medium move in an up and down motion (light)

Longitudinal Wave

A wave in which the particles vibrate back and forth (sound)

Mechanical Waves

waves that require a medium through which to travel (sound)

Electromagnetic Waves

waves that do not need a medium to travel through (light)

Amplitude

wave height=volume

Frequency

how often/how many times a wave occurs in a period of time=pitch

Wavelength

distance between two crests or two troughs

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

Diffraction

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

Transmission

the passage of light waves through an object

Absorption

the process by which light waves transfer energy to particles of matter

Scattering

reflection of light in all directions

Echolocation

the process of using reflected sound waves to find objects; used by animals such as bats

Opaque

no light let through

Transparent

Allowing light to pass through

Decible

A unit used to measure the loudness of a sound.

Hertz

Unit of frequency

Medium

matter through which waves travel

Crest

Highest point in a wave

Trough

Lowest point in a wave

Doppler Effect

A change in sound frequency/pith caused by motion of the sound source, motion of the listener, or both.

translucent

Allowing some light to pass through

Vacuum

an empty space with no particles and no pressure

rarefaction

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

compression

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