Science Unit 2 waves

Wave

1. A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place. 2. The movement of energy through a body of water.

Mechanical Wave

1. A wave that requires a medium through which to travel.

Medium

1. A substance through which force acts.

Electromagnetic Radiation

1. The energy transferred through space by electromagnetic waves.

Transverse Wave

1. A wave that moves the medium at right angles to the direction in which the wave travels.

Amplitude

1. The height of a transverse wave from the center to a crest or trough. 2. The maximum distance the particles of a medium move away from their rest positions longitudinal wave passes through the medium.

Longitudinal Wave

1. A wave that moves the medium in a direction parallel to the direction in which the wave travels.

Wavelength

1. The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave, such as the distance between two crests.

Frequency

1. The number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time.

Reflection

1. The bouncing back of an object or a wave when it hits a surface through which it can not pass.

Refraction

1. The bending of waves as they enter a new medium at an angle, caused by a change in speed.

Diffraction

1. The bending or spreading of waves as they move around a barrier or pass through an opening.

Absorption

1. The process which nutrient molecules pass through the wall of the digestive system into the blood. 2. The process by which an object takes in, or absorbs, light.

Interference

1. The interaction between waves that meet.

Standing Wave

1. A wave that appears to stand in one place, even though it’s two waves interfering as they pass through each other.

Resonance

1. The increase in the amplitude of a vibration that occurs when external vibrations match an object's natural frequency.

Loudness

1. The perception of the energy of a sound.

Intensity

1. The amount of energy per second carried through a unit area by a wave.

Decible

1. A unit used to compare the loudness between different sounds.

Pitch

1. A description of how sound is perceived as high or low.

Doppler Effect

1. The change in frequency of a wave as its source moves in relation to an observer.

Electromagnetic Wave

1. A wave made up of a combination of a changing electric field and a changing magnetic field.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

1. The complete range of electromagnetic waves placed in order of increasing frequency.

Radio Waves

1. Electromagnetic waves with the longest wavelengths and lowest frequencies.

Microwaves

1. Electromagnetic waves that have shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies than radio waves.

Visible Light

1. Electromagnetic radiation that can be seen by the unaided human eye

Ultraviolet Waves

1. Electromagnetic waves with shorter than visible light but longer than x-rays.

Infrared Rays

1. Electromagnetic waves with shorter wavelength and higher frequencies than microwaves.

X-rays

1. Electromagnetic waves with wavelengths shorter than ultraviolet rays but longer than gamma rays.

Gamma Rays

1. Electromagnetic waves with the shortest wavelength and highest frequencies.