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Waves and Light
Vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Wave | A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another |
Medium | The material through which a wave travels |
Longitudinal Wave | Particles move back and forth in the same direction that the wave travels, or parallel to the wave |
Transverse Wave | Particles move perpendicularly to the direction the wave travels |
Amplitude | Is a measure of how far the particles in the medium move away from their normal rest position. |
Wavelength | Is the distance from any point on a wave to an identical point on the next wave. |
Wave period | Is the time required for one cycle. |
Frequency | The frequency of a wave tells how many cycles occur in an amount of time, usually 1 s. |
Hertz | Frequency is expressed in hertz. One hertz is equal to one cycle per second. |
Wave Speed | The speed at which a wave travels—called wave speed—depends on the properties of the medium. |