Term | Definition |
Compressional Wave | mechanical wave that causes particles in matter to move back and forth along the direction the wave travels |
Diffraction | bending of the waves around the object |
Electromagnetic Spectrum | complete range of electromagnetic waves frequencies and wavelengths |
Electromagnetic Waves | waves that can travel through matter or empty space, includes radio waves, infrared waves, visible light waves, ultraviolet waves, X rays, and gamma rays |
Frequency | number of wavelengths that pass a given point in one second, measured in hertz |
Infrared Waves | electromagnetic waves with wavelengths between about one thousandth of a meter and 700 billionths of a meter |
Intensity | amount of energy a wave carries past a certain area each second |
Law of Reflection | states than an angle the incoming wave makes with the normal to the reflecting surface equals the angle the reflected wave makes with the surface. |
Pitch | human perception of the frequency of sound |
Refraction | change in the direction of a wave when it changes speed as it travels from one material into another |
Reverberation | repeated echoes of sound waves |
Transverse Wave | mechanical wave that causes particle in matter to move at right angles to the direction the waves travel. |
Ultraviolet Waves | electromagnetic waves with wavelengths between about 400 billionths and 10 billionths of meter |
Wave | disturbance that moves through matter and space carries energy |
Wavelength | distance between one point on a wave and the nearest point moving with the same speed and direction. |