Waves, Light, Heat Transfer, and Work

Flashcards in Vocabulary style based on lecture notes about waves, light, heat transfer, and work.

Wave

A traveling disturbance that transports energy from one location to another.

Medium

The material through which energy travels in a wave.

Electromagnetic Waves

Waves that do not need a medium to travel (e.g., light).

Mechanical Waves

Waves that require a medium to travel (e.g., sound).

Refraction

The change in the speed and direction of a wave passing from one medium into another.

Electromagnetic Radiation

Energy that can be used for practical purposes such as microwaves, radio, and medical X-rays.

Light

A form of electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, consisting of photons.

Newton's Prism Experiment

Demonstrated that white light consists of the colors of the visible spectrum.

Transparent

Materials that allow all light to pass through.

Translucent

Materials that allow some light to pass through.

Opaque

Materials that allow no light to pass through.

Artificial Luminous Objects

Man-made objects that emit their own light (e.g., candles, lamps).

Retina

The light-sensitive portion of the eye containing cones (for color vision) and rods (for black and white vision).

Cones

Receptors in the retina responsible for color vision.

Rods

Receptors in the retina mainly responsible for black and white vision and vision in the dark.

Heat Transfer

The process by which thermal energy moves from one object or substance to another with a different temperature.

Conduction

Transfer of energy between adjacent molecules, or direct contact.

Convection

Movement of a hot fluid, or transfer of heat trought a fluid caused by molecular motion

Radiation

Emission of electromagnetic rays or waves.

Work

The use of force to move an object over a distance; its unit is the Joule (J).

Amplitude

The maximum displacement or distance moved by a point on a vibrating body or wave measured from its equilibrium position.

Wavelength

The distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave.

Frequency

The number of waves that pass a fixed place in a given amount of time.

Reflection

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

Absorption

The process in which energy of a wave is transferred to a material.

Infrared Radiation

Electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths than those of visible light, associated with heat.

Ultraviolet Radiation

Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than those of visible light, can cause chemical reactions.

Potential Energy

The energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position relative to others, stresses within itself, electric charge, and other factors.

Kinetic Energy

Energy