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S8P4.a
identify the characteristics of electromagnetic and mechanicl waves
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| wave | a periodic disturbance in a solid,liquid,or gas as energy in 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 wave motion |
| 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 cloer together |
| rarefraction | part of the longitudinal wave in which the particles expand and move apart |
| electromagnetic wave | a wave that consists of electic and magnetic fields that vibrate at right angles to each other |