WHAT ARE WAVES?
A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another
What is a wave?
In this wave, particles move parallel to the wave’s direction
What is a longitudinal wave?
Waves that require a medium to travel
What are mechanical waves?
The height of a wave measured from rest position
What is amplitude?
Waves with greater amplitude carry this
What is more energy?
The material through which a wave travels
What is a medium?
Sound waves are an example of this type
What is a longitudinal wave?
Ocean waves are this type
What are mechanical waves?
The distance from one crest to the next
What is wavelength?
For mechanical waves, energy depends mostly on amplitude and this
What is frequency?
Waves transfer energy but not this
What is matter?
In this wave, particles move up and down while the wave moves forward
What is a transverse wave?
Waves that can travel through empty space
What are electromagnetic waves?
The time required for one full wave cycle
What is wave period?
The formula used to calculate wave speed
What is wave speed = frequency × wavelength?
The highest points on a wave
What are crests?
Earthquake waves that arrive first and travel faster
What are P waves (longitudinal)?
Visible light is an example of this
What is an electromagnetic wave?
The number of cycles per second
What is frequency?
Waves usually travel fastest in this type of medium
What are solids?
The lowest points on a wave
What are troughs?
Ripples on water that combine transverse and longitudinal motion
What are surface waves?
Name two electromagnetic waves besides visible light
What are radio waves, microwaves, UV light, or x-rays?
The unit used to measure frequency
What is hertz (Hz)?
All electromagnetic waves travel at this speed in a vacuum
What is the speed of light (about 300 million m/s)?