General Wave Info
Wave Characteristics
Sound
Light
Colors
100
What is a periodic disturbance that transfers energy?
a wave
100
What is the highest point of a wave?
crest
100
What type of wave are sound waves?
longitudinal (mechanical)
100
What type of waves are light waves?
electromagnetic
100
What is the bouncing back of a light wave after it hits a surface?
reflection
200
What is the physical environment that waves occur in?
medium
200
What is the lowest point of a wave?
trough
200
What is the measure of how high or how low a wave sounds?
pitch
200
What is the bending of a light wave as it passes from one medium into a different medium?
refraction
200
What is the speed that waves travel at?
frequency
300
What are waves the require a medium (such as sound)?
mechanical waves
300
What is the distance from a point on one wave to the same point on the next wave?
wavelength
300
What determines how loud or soft a sound is?
amplitude
300
What electromagnetic waves have the highest frequency?
gamma rays
300

What two factors determine what color of visible light we see?

the frequency and wavelength of the wave

400
What are waves where the particles move perpendicular to the direction of motion?
transverse waves
400
What is the distance (how high or how low) particles move from the baseline of the wave?
amplitude
400
What determines the pitch of a sound?
the frequency of the wave
400

What type of electromagnetic wave has the longest wavelength?

radio waves

400
What is the law of reflection?
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
500

What states of matter can serve as media?

Solids, liquid and gases

500
What is the time it takes for a wave to complete one cycle?
period
500
What causes sound waves?
vibrations
500
Why does light have a "dual nature?"
it can behave as waves or particles
500
What is the difference between a concave and a convex mirror?
Concave curves inward and compresses the image. Convex curves outward and stretches out the image.
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