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Energy of Waves
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| wave | any disturbance that transmits energy through matter or empty space |
| medium | a medium is a substance through which a wave can travel |
| mechanical waves | waves that require a medium |
| electromagnetic waves | waves that can transfer energy without a medium |
| transverse wave | a wave in which the particles of the medium move perpendicularly to the direction the wave is traveling |
| longitudinal wave | a wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave motion |
| crest | highest point of transverse wave |
| trough | lowest point of transverse wave |
| compression | part of longitudinal wave where the particles are close together |
| rarefaction | part of the longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart |
| surface wave | a wave that forms from the combination of a transverse and longitudinal wave |
| amplitude | the maximum distance that the particles of a wave's medium vibrate from their rest position |
| wavelength | the distance from any point on a wave to an identical point on the next wave |
| frequency | the number of waves in a given amount of time |
| wave speed | the speed at which a wave travels through a medium |
| reflection | when a wave bounces back after hitting a barrier |
| refraction | the bending of a wave as the wave passes from one medium to another |
| diffraction | the bending of a wave around a barrier or through an opening |
| interference | the combination of two or more waves that results in a single wave |
| constructive interference | combination of two waves that leads to greater amplitude |
| destructive interference | combination of waves that leads to reduced amplitude |
| standing wave | a pattern of vibration that simulates a wave that is standing still |
| resonance | when two objects naturally vibrate at the same frequency; the sound produced by one object causes the other object to vibrate |