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Waves
Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Compression | Region of a longitudinal wave where the particles in the medium are closest together. |
| Crest | Highest point on a transverse wave. |
| Electromagnetic wave | Can travel through empty space and through matter. |
| Energy | Ability to cause change. |
| Longitudinal wave | Makes the particles in a medium move parallel to the direction of the wave. |
| Mechanical wave | Travels only through matter. |
| Medium | Material in which a mechanical wave travels. |
| Rarefaction | Region of a longitudinal wave where the particles are farthest apart. |
| Transverse wave | Disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of the wave. |
| Trough | Lowest point on a transverse wave. |
| Wave | Disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another. |
| Amplitude | maximum distance particles in a medium move from their rest position as waves pass through the medium. |
| Frequency | Number of wavelengths that pass by a point each second. |
| Wavelength | Distance from one point on a wave to the same point on the next wave. |