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Waves Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| absorption | the transfer of energy from a wave ti a medium. |
| amplitude | the distance between the highest crest and the 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 of reflected light. |
| color | what you see when the lights shine/reflect off an object |
| color filter | a transparent object that absorbs some colors 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 sorce |
| 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 a 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 the surface |
| reflection | waves bouncing off a medium |
| refraction/refracted | the bending waves to to a change in speed. |
| sound wave | a vibration, or wave, that travels through matter. |
| transmit | to cause light, heat, or sound 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 ditance the wave travels before it strats to repeat |