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Waves
Waves and their properties
Term | Definition |
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wave | a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another; a wave can be a single cycle, or it can be a repeating pattern |
longitudinal wave | a wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave motion |
mechanical wave | a wave that requires a medium through which to travel |
medium | a physical environment in which phenomena occur; for waves, the material through which a wave can travel |
transverse wave | a wave in which the particles of the medium move perpendicularly to the direction the wave is traveling |
electromagnetic wave | a wave, consisting of changing electric and magnetic fields that is emitted by vibrating electric charges and can travel through a vacuum |
wavelength | the distance from any point on a wave to the corresponding point on the next wave |
amplitude | the maximum distance that the particles of a wave’s medium vibrate from their rest position |
frequency | the number of waves that pass a fixed place in a given amount of time |
crest | A crest is the highest point the medium rises to a point on the wave where the displacement of the medium is at a maximum |
trough | trough is the lowest point the medium sinks to |