waves vocab

Wave –a disturbance in a medium
Medium – a substance or material that carries the wave
Amplitude – the maximum amount of displacement of a particle on the medium from its rest
position
Wavelength – the length of one complete wave cycle
Crest – the point on the medium that exhibits the maximum amount of positive or upward
displacement from the rest position
Trough – the point on the medium that exhibits the maximum amount of negative or downward
displacement from the rest position
Period – the time for a particle on a medium to make one complete vibrational cycle
Frequency – how often the particles of a medium vibrate per second when a wave passes
through the medium
Hertz – unit for frequency (1 Hz is equivalent to 1 cycle/second)
Transverse Wave – a wave in which the particles of the medium are displaced in a direction
perpendicular to the direction of energy transport
Longitudinal Wave – a wave in which the particles of the medium are displaced in a direction
parallel to the direction of energy transport
Compression – a point on a medium through which a longitudinal wave is traveling that has the
maximum density
Rarefaction – a point on a medium through which a longitudinal wave is traveling that has the
minimum density
Superposition – When two waves interfere, the resulting displacement of the medium at any
location is the algebraic sum of the displacements of the individual waves at that same location.
Traveling Wave – wave pattern that is seen traveling through a medium
Standing Wave –wave pattern that appears to be standing still, caused by superposition of two
waves of same frequency and wavelength
Node – point of no displacement on a standing wave
Antinode – point of maximum displacement on a standing wave
Harmonic Frequencies – frequencies that result in standing waves patterns
Resonance – when one object vibrating at the same natural frequency of a second object forces
that second object into vibrational motion.
Constructive Interference – type of interference that occurs at any location along the medium
where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the same direction
Destructive Interference – type of interference that occurs at any location along the medium
where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the opposite direction
Doppler Effect – the effect produced by a moving source of waves in which there is an apparent
upward shift in frequency for the observer and the source are approaching and an apparent
downward shift in frequency when the observer and the source is receding.