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Wave vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Wave | A disturbance caused by the mechanical motion of some particle of matter. |
| Medium | Any form of matter whose particles transport the wave's energy. |
| Mechanical Waves | Waves that move by the physical motion of particles and they require a medium. |
| Propagate | Travel |
| Sound wave | A mechanical wave that requires a medium to be able to move. |
| Electromagnetic Waves | Involves both an electrical and magnetic component and does not require a medium to travel. |
| Vacuum | An empty space |
| Transverse Wave | Oscillates in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction it is traveling. |
| Longitudinal Wave | Oscillates parallel to the direction it is traveling in. |
| Wavelength | The distance between any two identical points on a wave. |
| Amplitude | The height of the wave |
| Period | The amount of time it takes for a wave to complete one full cycle |
| Frequency | The number of waves that occur in a unit of time. |
| Hertz (Hz) | Frequency is measured in Hertz. One cycle per second. |
| Reflection | The bouncing of waves off of a surface. |
| Absorb | When the wave bounces whatever doesn't reflect is absorbed by the surface. |
| Transmit | When waves travel through matter. |
| Rays | Waves as staright lines. |
| Law of Reflection | The angle of reflection equals the angle of incident. The angle in which the light hits the surfacte equals the angle in which it bounces off of the surface. |
| Normal Line | The angle of reflection for light that is perfectly perpendictular to the surface. |
| Incident ray | Light ray that strikes the surface |
| Reflection ray | Light ray that reflects off the surface. |
| Refraction | The bending of a wave by the change in density of the medium. |
| Index of Refraction | The amount the wave bends is determined by. |
| Angle of refraction | The amount the wave is bent |
| Snell's Law | The higher the index of refraction, the more the material will bend the incoming wave. |
| Thermal Inversion | The refraction of sound occurs when the Earth is warmer than the air at it's surface. |
| Visible Light | The light that humans can see with the naked eye. |
| Chlorophyll | A pigment responsible for the green color of plants. |
| Diffraction | The ability of a wave to bend around obstacles or through small openings. |
| Scattering | Light is bent and spread out |
| Light Diffraction | Occurs when a light wave encounters an obstacle with a regularly repeating pattern resulting in a diffraction pattern. |
| Interference | When two waves coming from different directions meet and affect each other. |
| In Phase | When one waves high point meets the high point of the other wave. |
| Constructive Interference | The interaction of waves that are in phase. |
| Out of Phase | When the low point of one wave meets the high point of the other wave and the way becomes still. |
| Destructive Interference | The interaction of waves that are out of phase. |
| Distortion | When waves meet in the middle of destructive and constructive and cause an irregualr pattern. |
| Sound Wave | Mechanical wave produced by a vibrating object. |
| Compression waves | Waves that result in the compression and expansion of molecules surronding the object. |
| Pitch | How high or low a sound is. |
| Decibels | Intensity or volume of the sound is measured in. |
| Doppler effect | When a sound moves towards a listener the pitch seems to increase. |
| Electromagnetic spectrum | Invisible and visible waves, ranging from very low to very high frequency. |
| Speed of light | The amount of time it takes for light to reach the eye. |
| Radio Waves | Invisible wavelengths of light that are used to send messages through the radio. |
| Microwaves | Invisible wave lengths that cause thernmal energy to be generated. |
| Infrared Waves | Waves that are given off of the human body and cause very minimal light. |
| Visible Light Waves | The only part of the electromagnetic spectrum that our eyes can see. Very narrow band of light waves. |
| Roy G. Biv | The order in which the colors are arranged. |
| Ultraviolet Waves | Harmful waves produced by the sun. Tears apart cells in the human body. |
| X-rays | Used to image in doctor's offices. Can be dangerous of cause radiation exposure. |
| Gamma Ray Waves | Most energetic waves and are very dangerous. |
| Convex Lens | Light waves refract into a vocal point. Makes an X. |
| Concave Lens | Light waves refract and bend outwards. Helps us see far away. |
| Focal Point | Where light rays are brought to a point. |
| Convex Mirror | Light rays are reflected and spread out. Images appear smaller |
| Concave mirror | Light rays reflect and come in to a point. Images can appear smaller or larger depending on circumstance. |
Created by:
emilyl927
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