Waves

Vocabulary

Wave

A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another

Medium

When a wave travels through matter, that matter is considered a ______

Wave pulse

A single disturbance that does not repeat

Wave cycle

One complete motion of the repeating pattern in a wave

Mechanical wave

Requires a medium to travel through

Transverse wave

Travel in an up and down motion in which the wave travels perpendicular from the source to its destination

Crest

The highest point

Trough

The lowest point

Longitudinal waves

Move back and forth. The particles move parallel to the wave

Surface waves

A wave in which the matter moves in a circular pattern that is sometimes parallel and sometimes perpendicular to the direction that the waves travel

Wavelength

The distance between any two crests in a transverse wave or any two troughs in a transverse wave

• Shorter ___________ usually mean more energy

Amplitude

The distance between the crest and the resting position of a wave

• Measures how far away particles are from their rest position

• Larger _________ means a taller wave

• Higher _________ means more energy

Frequency

The number of waves that pass in a given amount of time

• The higher the ________ the more energy

• Expressed in Hertz (Hz)

Wave speed

determined by the distance a wave travels in a given amount of time

= WAVELENGTH x FREQUENCY