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Waves Vocabulary
Gage Hackenburg
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Waves | Oscillations that can carry energy |
Oscillation | An up and down or back and fourth motion. |
Vacuum | Space that has no matter in it. |
Mechanical Waves | Waves that move through matter. |
Types of Mechanical Waves | Sound waves; Waves in water. |
Electromagnetic Waves | Waves that can travel through vacuums. |
Types of Electromagnetic Waves | Light waves; X-rays; Radio waves. |
Wave Properties | The four main characteristics of a wave. |
Amplitude | One half the distance between a wave's high point and low point. |
Crest | A wave's high point. |
Trough | A wave's low point |
Resting Point | The center of the wave. |
Wavelength and Symbol | Measured from a point on one wave to the same point on the next wave (Crest to Crest; Trough to Trough) Symbol - λ |
Wavelength Units | Meter |
3 Ways to measure wavelength are: | From Crest to Crest, from Trough to Trough, from the resting point. |
Frequency | The amount of waves that pass through a fixed point in a given unit of time. |
Units for Frequency | Hertz (Hz) |
Wave Speed | The time it takes for a wave to move from one point to another. |
Wave Speed Units | Velocity (m/s) |
Wave Speed Equation | Wave Speed = Frequency x Wavelength (v = f x λ) |
Medium | The matter a wave travels through. |
Reflection | When a wave bounces off of a surface; a mirror. |
Law of Reflection | Waves get reflected in a particular way. |
Reflected Ray | The wave coming from a reflection. |
Incident Ray | A wave before it has been reflected. |
Refraction | The bending of waves caused when they travel at different speeds in different mediums; legs look shorter in a pool. |
Diffraction | The bending of waves around a barrier or the spreading of waves past small openings; ocean waves coming through a pier. |
Interference | The result of waves colliding with each other. |
Constructive Interference | Waves colliding creating a larger wave. |
Destructive Interference | Waves colliding cancelling each other out. |
Absorption | The transfer of energy from a wave to matter as it passes through it. |
Absorbed Colors | Colors that are being absorbed by as substance, making them unable to be seen. |
Reflected Colors | Colors that bounce off a substance, making them appear visible. |
Electromagnetic Waves | Transverse waves that osculate in a perpendicular pattern. |
Radio Waves | Transmit music; longest electromagnetic wavelength; 0.3 m<. |
Microwaves | Cook food; 0.3-0.003 m. |
Infrared Waves | Just longer than a red wave; emitted by warm objects. |
Visible Light | Visible to humans; emit color; 700-400 nano-meters. |
Ultraviolet Waves | Just over violet; emitted by the sun; 400-10 nano-meters. |
X-Rays | Higher frequency than UV; can see through skin, but not bone. |
Gamma Rays | Highest frequency waves ; radioactive and harmful to humans. |
Visible Light Spectrum | From red, the highest frequency visible color, to violet, the lowest frequency visible color. |
Longitudinal Wave | Waves that oscillate the same direction they move. |
Expansion | When the wave in a longitudinal wave stretches out. |
Compression | When the wave in a longitudinal wave presses in. |
Intensity | How much energy a sound wave passes through a certain area. |
Units of Sound | Decibel (dB) |
Pitch | The difference of a sound's frequency. |
Analog Signal | Carry out information but vary continuously in both amplitude and frequency. |
Digital Signal | Information carried out as wave pulses in the form of zeros and ones. |