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Waves
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| wave | a disturbance that transmits energy through matter or empty space created by a vibration. |
| mechanical wave | this wave transmits energy through matter |
| electromagnetic wave | this wave transmits energy through matter or empty space |
| medium | this is the matter through which a mechanical/ electromagnetic wave can travel. |
| transverse | in this type of wave the particles of the medium vibrate in a perpendicular direction to the direction that the wave moves. |
| longitudinal | in this type of wave the particles of the medium vibrate in a parallel direction to the direction that the wave moves. |
| crest | highest part of the transverse wave |
| trough | lowest part of the transverse wave |
| midpoint (rest position) | middle of the wave |
| compression | high pressure area where particles of the wave crowd together |
| rarefraction | low pressure area where particles of the wave spread apart |
| amplitude | the distance from the rest position to the height of a crest (or bottom of the trough)- height of wave |
| wavelength | this is the distance from one crest (or trough) to the next. It is also the distance from the end of one rarefraction to the end of the next rarefraction. |
| frequency | the number of waves that pass a certain point in a given amount of time- measured in hertz (Hz) |
| wave speed | velocity= frequency x wavelength- this changes based on the medium |
| reflection | happens when a wave bounces back after hitting a barrier it cannot pass through |
| refraction | the bending of a wave as the wave passes from one medium to another at an angle |
| diffraction | the bending of waves around a barrier or through an opening- depends on wavelength and size of opening |
| interference | combination of two or more waves to form a single wave. There are two types. |
| constructive interference | occurs when the crest of one wave overlaps with the crest of another wave- results in higher amplitude |
| destructive interference | occurs when the crest of one wave overlaps with the trough of another wave- results in smaller or no amplitude |
| absorbtion | when a substance/material takes in a wave and transforms it into a different energy type |
| transmission | the process where a wave passes through a boundary and travels through a medium without being reflected, refracted or defracted. |
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Singletary
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