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Waves
science words about waves
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Compressional Wave | mechanical wave that causes particles in matter to move back and fourth along the directions the waves travel |
diffraction | bending of waves around an object |
electromagnetic spectrum | complete range of electromagnetic wave frequencies and wavelengths |
electromagnetic waves | waves that can travel through empty matter or empty space,includes radio waves,infrared waves,visible light waves,ultra violet 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 |
law of reflection | states that the angle the incoming waves 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 the sound |
refraction | change in direction of a wave when it changes speed as it travels from one material to another |
reverberation | repeated echoes of sound waves |
transverse wave | mechanical waves that causes particles in matter to move at right angles to the direction the wave travels |
ultra violet waves | electromagnetic waves with wavelengths between about 400 billionths and 10 billionths of a meter |
wave | disturbance that moves through matter and space and carries energy |
wavelength | distance between one point on a wave and the nearest point moving with the same speed and direction |