Types of Waves
A disturbance in matter that transfers energy through the matter
Mechanical wave
The matter through which a wave travels
Medium
The distance between a point on one cycle of a wave and the same point on the next cycle.
Wavelength
Any speed that is faster than the speed of sound in the medium of interest
Supersonic Speed
Your mind interprets electric signals as this.
Sound
A wave in which the medium vibrates parallel to the direction the wave travels.
Longitudinal wave
The rate at which a wave's energy travels through a given area.
Intensity
The number of complete cycles in a given time...for example, the number of waves that would hit you in one second.
Frequency
An indication of how high or low a sound is, which is primarily determined by the frequency of the sound wave.
Pitch
Your ears detect sound waves through vibrations in this membrane.
Tympanic (or eardrum)
A wave in which the medium vibrates perpendicular to the direction the wave travels
Transverse wave
When temperatures are warmer, sound travels faster because of this.
The molecules or atoms bump into each other more easily to transfer energy.
The difference from the rest position to a crest or trough.
Amplitude
A change in sound frequency caused by the motion of the sound source, motion of the listener, or both.
Doppler Effect
Tiny bones in your ears that transfer vibrations.
Ossicles
Transverse waves and Longitudinal waves are this type of wave.
Mechanical wave
This heats the air around a storm cloud very quickly, causing the air to rapidly expand, resulting in thunder.
Lightning (electrical charge of)
The places where energy is passing through a material in a longitudinal wave
Compressions
Name for reflected sound waves that humans use to create maps and bats use to hunt insects.
Sonar
The cochlea converts vibrations into electrical signals and sends them to the brain through this.
Auditory Nerve
A wave that travels along the surface of a medium.
Surface wave
To indicate a storm is one mile away, count this many seconds between a lightning flash and a boom of thunder.
5 seconds
The formula to calculate the speed of a wave.
speed = wavelength (m) x frequency
Sound travels faster in liquids than it does in _______.
The range of low and high frequency waves that human ears are sensitive to (in hertz.)
20 Hz and 20,000 Hz