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Unit 1
Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
wavelength | the distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave |
frequency | the number of crests of a wave that move past a given point in a given unit of time |
energy | the ability to do work. Energy comes in different forms: Heat (thermal) Light (radiant) Motion (kinetic) |
black hole | a region of space time exhibiting gravitational acceleration so strong that nothing—no particles or even electromagnetic radiation such as light—can escape from it |
supernova | a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass |
sunspots | temporary phenomena on the Sun's photosphere that appear as spots darker than the surrounding areas. They are regions of reduced surface temperature |
elements | the building blocks for all the rest of the matter in the world |
solar flare | sudden flash of increased brightness on the Sun, usually observed near its surface |
big bang theory | leading explanation about how the universe began. It says the universe as we know it started with a small singularity, then inflated over the next 13.8 billion years to the cosmos that we know today |
red shift | the displacement of spectral lines toward longer wavelengths |
crest | the maximum or highest point in a cycle of waves |
trough | the minimum or lowest point in a cycle of waves |
fusion | the process or result of joining two or more things together to form a single entity |
electromagnetic spectrum | the range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic energy extends. |
spectra | a band of colors, as seen in a rainbow, produced by separation of the components of light by their different degrees of refraction according to wavelength |
parallax | the effect whereby the position or direction of an object appears to differ when viewed from different positions, e.g. through the viewfinder and the lens of a camera |
hertz | the SI unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second |