Waves
A disturbance in matter that transfers energy through the matter.
What are mechanical waves?
The matter through which the wave travels.
What is the medium?
The number of waves that pass a fixed point in a given amount of time.
What is frequency?
Waves bounce off a surface that they cannot pass through.
What is reflection?
Friction that slows the bottom of the waves while the tops of the waves keep going.
What are shallow water waves?
Particles of the medium vibrate up and down perpendicular to the wave.
What are transverse waves?
The highest point the particles of the medium reach.
What is the crest?
The distance between two corresponding points on adjacent waves.
What is wavelength?
Waves spread out as they travel around or through an obstacle.
What is diffraction?
In an earthquake, the disturbance causes transverse waves through underground rocks in all directions away from the disturbance.
What are S-waves?
Particles of the medium vibrate back and forth parallel to the direction of the wave.
What are longitudinal waves?
The lowest point the particles of the medium reach.
What is the trough?
The distance a wave travels in a given amount of time.
What is wave speed?
Waves bend as they enter a new medium at an angle and travel at a new speed.
What is refraction?
In an earthquake, the disturbance causes longitudinal waves through underground rocks in all directions away from the disturbance.
What are P-waves?
Particles of the medium vibrate both up and down and back and forth, in a circle.
What are surface waves?
The central line around which particles vibrate.
What is the resting position?
The maximum distance the particles of the medium move from their resting positions when a wave passes through.
What is the amplitude?
Waves that are closer together and farther apart.
What are compression and rarefaction?