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6 Topic 5
Topic 5 Waves and EM Radiation
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| wave | an disturbance that transfers energy from place to place |
| mechanical wave | a wave that can only travel through a medium; transverse, longitudinal, and surface waves |
| medium | the matter a wave travel through |
| electromagnetic radiation | the energy transferred through space by electromagnetic waves; includes visible light, radio waves, X-rays, microwaves, ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, and gamma rays |
| transverse wave | type of mechanical wave that travels perpendicular (at a right angle) to the direction of the source's motion |
| amplitude | the distance between the highest crest and the resting position |
| longitudinal wave | a mechanical wave that travels in the same direction as the vibrations that produce it |
| wavelength | the from crest to crest or trough to trough of a transverse wave or from compression to compression of a longitudinal wave |
| frequency | the number of times a wave repeats in a given amount of time; measured in a unit called hertz (Hz) |
| reflection | when a wave bounces off a surface and heads in a different direction |
| refraction | the bending of waves through a medium due to a change in speed like from air to water |
| diffraction | the bending or spreading of waves as they move around a barrier or pass through an opening |
| absorption | the energy of a wave is transferred to the material it encounters |
| interference | the interaction between waves that meet |
| resonance | an increase in the amplitude on a vibration that occurs when external vibrations match an object's natural frequency |
| loudness | the perception of the energy of sound |
| intensity | the amount of energy a sound wave carries per second through a unit area |
| electromagnetic wave | made up of vibrating electric and magnetic fields that can move through space at the speed of light |
| electromagnetic spectrum | the complete range of electromagnetic waves placed in order of increasing frequency starting with radio waves and ending with gamma rays |
| transparent | a material that transmits most of the light that strikes it like a window pane or plastic wrap |
| translucent | material scatters the light that passes through it; image can be seen through it but it's blurry |
| opaque | a material that reflects or absorbs all of the light that strikes it; anything solid like a wall or door or person |
| convex | a mirror that curves outward or lens that is thicker in the center than at the edges |
| focal point | the point at which light rays parallel to the optical axis meet, after being reflected (or refracted) by a mirror (or lens) |
| concave | a mirror with a surface that curves inward or a lens that is thinner at the center than at the edges |
Created by:
muellershauna
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