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Waves Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Absorption | the TRANSFER of energy from a wave to a medium |
| amplitude | the distance between the HIGHEST crest and he resting position |
| Barrier | something that BLOCKS the way; an obstacle. |
| bend | to TURN or force from straight or even to CURVED or angular |
| brightness | the LIGHTNESS OR DARKNESS or reflected light (intensity of light) |
| color | what you see when LIGHT SHINES (reflects or emits) off an object |
| color filter | a transparent material that ABSORBS SOME COLOR and allows others to pass through |
| echo | a repeated sound that is caused by the REFLECTION OF A SOUND WAVE FROM A SURFACE |
| electromagnetic wave | a FORM OF ENERGY that can travel through empty space |
| frequency | the NUMBER OF TIMES A WAVE REPEATS in a given amount of time |
| lens | a CURVED PIECE OF GLASS OR PLASTIC DESIGNED TO REFRACT LIGHT in a specific way |
| light wave | WAVES that come from a LIGHT source (Ex: visible light - ROYGBIV |
| matter | ANYTHING THAT HAS MASS and takes up space |
| mechanical wave | A WAVE THAT REQUIRES A MEDIUM to travel through |
| medium/media | MATERIAL through which a wave travels |
| mirror | A REFLECTING SURFACE |
| path | also known as trajectory; is the PATH an object follows in space |
| prism | A PIECE OF GLASS or transparent material that bends light |
| propagate | the WAY WAVES TRAVEL or move |
| proportion | SOMETHING CHANGES with regard to something else |
| ray | THE MOVEMENT OF LIGHT from its source to a surface or object |
| ray diagram | SHOWS HOW light travels, including what happens when it reaches a surface |
| reflection | waves BOUNCES OFF a medium |
| refraction/refracted | THE BENDING OF WAVES due to a change in speed |
| sound wave | a vibration, or WAVE, that travels through matter (solid, liquid, or gas) and CAN BE HEARD |
| transmit | to CAUSE (light, heat, sound, etc.) TO PASS through a medium |
| transparent | ALLOWS LIGHT TO PASS THROUGH |
| visible light spectrum | the portion of the electromagnetic SPECTRUM that the human eye can view |
| wave | ANY DISTURBANCE THAT TRANSFERS energy from place to place |
| wavelength | the DISTANCE THE WAVE travels before it starts to repeat |