Waves Vocab |
| Question | Answer |
| wave | transports energy through a medium |
| oscillation | up-and-down motion of a particle |
| medium | an object or substance through which energy is transported |
| traverse wave | particles in the medium oscillate perpendicular to the motion of the wave |
| longitudinal wave | particles in the medium oscillate parallel to the motion of the wave |
| amplitude | distance between equilibrium and the crest/trough |
| crest | position farthest above equilibrium |
| trough | position farthest below equilibrium |
| equilibrium | position of particles when at rest |
| pulse width | distance between particles at equilibrium around pulse |
| wavelength | distance between equivalent points on waves |
| reflection | when a wave hits a boundary and returns in the direction from which it came |
| fixed-end reflection | an end that can't move causes a wave to invert |
| free-end reflection | an end that can move causes a wave to stay the same |
| transmission | when a wave moves from one medium to another. could change speed and wavelength, but not frequency. |
| interference | when waves meet |
| wave superposition | amplitude at every point increase |
| constructive wave | build on each other |
| destructive wave | destroy each other |
