Question | Answer |
Wave | A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place. |
Medium | Material through which a wave travels |
Transverse | Waves that move the medium at right angles to the direction of the wave |
Longitudinal | Waves that move the medium parallel to the direction of the wave |
Crest | The highest part of a transverse wave |
Trough | The lowest part of a transverse wave |
Compression | The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of closer together |
Rarefaction | The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles are farther apart. |
Amplitude | The maximum distance that the particles of the medium move from their rest position |
Wavelength | The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave |
Frequency | The number of complete waves that pass by a given point in a certain amount of time |
Hertz | Unit for frequency |
Sound | A disturbance that travels through a medium as a longitudinal wave |
Loudness | Your perception of the energy of a sound. It depends upon the amplitude of a sound wave and the distance from the source. |
Pitch | A description of how high or low a sound seems to a person. It depends upon the frequency of a sound. |
Mechanical | Waves that require a medium through which to travel |
Visible Light | Electromagnetic waves that humans can see |
White Light | A mixture of all the colors of visible light |
Transparent | Material that transmits most of the light that strikes it |
Translucent | Material that scatters light as it passes through |
Opaque | Material that reflects or absorbs all of the light that strikes it |
Convex | A lens that is thicker at the center and thinner at the edges |
Concave | A lens that is thicker at the edges and thinner at the center |
Reflection | When a wave hits a surface and it bounces back |
Refraction | When a wave enters a new medium at an angle, causing the wave to bend |