Waves (2023-2024)

39 flashcardsby Rey
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1
wave
A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place
2
mechanical wave
A wave that requires a medium through which to travel
3
electromagnetic waves
A form of energy that can move through the vacuum of space.
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transverse wave
A wave that moves the medium in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels
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compressional wave
matter in the medium moves back and forth along the same direction that the wave travels
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amplitude
the height of a wave's crest
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wavelength
Horizontal distance between the crests or between the troughs of two adjacent waves
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frequency
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
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wave speed
frequency x wavelength
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reflection
The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface through which it cannot pass.
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refraction
The bending of a wave as it passes at an angle from one medium to another
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diffraction
The bending of a wave as it moves around an obstacle or passes through a narrow opening
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interference
the combination of two or more waves that results in a single wave
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period
the time it takes one wavelength to pass a given point
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crest
Highest point of a wave
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trough
Lowest point of a wave
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rarefaction
a part in a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart
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compression
The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are close together.
19
Loudness
a sound's intensity (amplitude)
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Decibel
a unit that compares the intensities of different sounds
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Pitch
a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
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Echo
a reflected sound wave
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Doppler effect
A change in sound frequency caused by motion of the sound source, motion of the listener, or both.
24
Electromagnetic radiation
a kind of radiation including visible light, radio waves, gamma rays, and X-rays, in which electric and magnetic fields vary simultaneously.
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Gamma rays
Electromagnetic waves with the shortest wavelengths and highest frequencies
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X-rays
Electromagnetic radiation having a very short wavelength; can penetrate substances such as skin and muscle.
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Ultraviolet light
part of the electromagnetic spectrum that consists of waves with frequencies higher than those of visible light and lower than those of x-rays
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Visible light
Electromagnetic radiation that can be seen with the unaided eye
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Infrared light
Infrared light has longer wavelengths, penetrates more deeply, has less energy, and produces more heat than visible light; makes up 60 percent of natural sunlight.
30
Microwaves
Electromagnetic waves that have shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies than radio waves.
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Radio waves
Electromagnetic waves with the longest wavelengths and lowest frequencies
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Focal length
the distance from the center of a lens to the focal point
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Convex lens
A lens that is thicker in the middle than at the edges
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Concave lens
A lens that is thinner in the center than at the edges
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Pigment
A colored chemical compound that absorbs light, producing color.
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Light ray
narrow beam of light traveling in a straight line
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Medium
matter through which a wave travels
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Law of reflection
the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
39
Focal point
the point at which rays parallel to the optical axis reflect and meet
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