Terms
Transverse
Wave in which medium moves back and forth at right angles to the direction the wave is traveling
Velocity
V = frequency * wavelength
Matter
anything that takes up space and has mass
Amplitude
Measure of the disturbance from a wave (height)
Higher frequency =
Lower frequency =
- Wavelengths are closer together
- Wavelengths are further apart
Longitudinal
Wave in which the medium moves back and forth along the direction the wave is traveling
Diffraction
Bending of a wave around an object
Wave
a repeating disturbance that transfers energy through matter and space
Compression
Part of a longitudinal wave where medium particles are packed together
Standing Waves
Special type of wave pattern formed when waves equal in wavelength but traveling in opposite directions continuously interfere with each other
Crest
Highest point of a wave
Reflection
Wave hits and bounces off an object
Medium
matter through which waves travel
Rarefaction
Area of a longitudinal wave where particles are farther apart
Trough
Lowest point of a wave
Interference
Two or more waves overlap and combine to form a new wave
Mechanical Waves
Waves that can only travel through matter
Frequency
Number of wavelengths that pass through a point within a second
Wavelength
Distance between two identical points on a wave
Resonance
Process by which an object is made to vibrate by absorbing energy of its natural frequencies
Vibration
A back and forth movement
Period
Amount of time it takes a wavelength to pass a point