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Olivia Adams
Chapter 17 and 18
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Wave | A disturbance in matter that carries energy from one place to another. |
| Medium | The material through which a wave travels. |
| Crest | The highest point of the wave above the rest position. |
| Trough | The lowest point of the wave below the rest position. |
| Transverse Wave | A wave that causes the medium to vibrate at right angles to the direction in which the wave travels. |
| Compression | An area where the particles in a medium are spaced close together. |
| Rarefaction | An area where the particles in a medium are spread out. |
| Longitudinal Wave | A wave in which the vibration of the medium is parallel to the direction the wave travels. |
| Surface Wave | A wave that travels along a surface separating two media. |
| Periodic Motion | Any motion that repeats at regular time intervals. |
| Period | The time required for one cycle, a complete motion that returns to its starting point. |
| Frequency | The number of complete cycles in a given time. |
| Hertz | Frequency is measured in cycles per second. |
| Wavelength | The distance between a point on one wave and the same point on the next cycle of the wave. |
| Amplitude | The maximum displacement of the medium from its rest position. |
| Reflection | Occurs when a wave bounces off a surface that it cannot pass through. |
| Refraction | The blending of a wave as it enters a new medium at an angle. |
| Diffraction | The blending of a wave as it moves around an obstacle or passes through a narrow opening. |
| Interfernce | Occurs when two or more waves overlap and combine together. |
| Constructive Interference | Occurs when two or more waves combine to produce a wave with a larger displacement. |
| Standing Wave | A wave that appears to stay in one place. |
| Destructive Interference | Occurs when two or more waves combine to produce a wave with smaller displacements. |
| Node | A point on a standing wave that has no displacement from the rest position. |
| Antinode | A point where a crest or trough occurs midway between nodes. |
| Electromagnetic Waves | Transverse waves consisting of changing electric fields and changing magnetic fields. |
| Electric Field | A region of space exerts electric forces on charged particles. |
| Magnetic Field | A region of space produces magnetic forces. |
| Electromagnetic Radiation | The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves traveling through matter or across space. |
| Photoelectric Effect | The emission or electrons from a metal caused by light striking the metal. |
| Photons | Packets of electromagnetic energy. |
| Intensity | The rate at which a wave's energy flows through a given unit of area. |
| Electromagnetic Spectrum | The full range of electromagnetic radiation. |
| Amplitude Modulation | The amplitude of the wave. |
| Frequency Modulation | The frequency of the wave. |
| Thermograms | Color-coded pictures that show variations in temperatures. |