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Waves
Waves and Energy, physical science
Term | Definition |
---|---|
wave | a disturbance that transfers energy from place to place |
medium | the material through which a wave travels |
vibration | a repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down in motion |
mechanical wave | waves that require a medium through which to travel ex: air, water, or a rope |
transverse wave | waves that move the medium at right angles to the direction which the waves travel |
longitudinal wave | move the medium parallel to the direction in which the waves travel |
compression | parts where the coils are close together |
rarefaction | the parts where the coils are spread apart |
amplitude | the maximum distance that the particles of the medium carrying the wave move away from the rest position |
frequency | the number of times a wave repeats |
refraction | the bending of waves due to a change in speed |
diffraction | when a wave moves around a barrier or through an opening in a barrier, it bends and spreads out |