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S8P4.a
Identify the characteristics of electromagnetic and mechanical waves.
Term | Definition |
---|---|
wave | a periodic disturbance in a solid, liquid, or gas as energy is transmitted through a medium |
medium | a physical environment in which phenomena occur |
mechanical wave | a wave that needs a medium in which to travel |
transverse wave | a wave in which the particles of the medium move perpendicularly to the direction the wave is traveling |
longitudinal wave | a wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave motion |
compression | part of the longitudinal wave where the particles bunch up closer together |
rarefaction | part of the longitudinal wave in which the particles expand and move apart |
electromagnetic wave | a wave that consists of electric and magnetic fields that vibrate at right angles to each other |