Key Terms - Introduction to Waves

Key Terms in Waves

• Amplitude: Indicates the energy level of a wave; higher amplitude means more energy.

• Longitudinal Waves: Characterized by matter moving at right angles to the wave's travel direction; includes compressions and rarefactions.

• Crest: Represents the peak or highest point of a wave, essential for identifying wave characteristics.

• Diffraction: Occurs when a wave bends around a barrier, demonstrating wave flexibility and behavior in confined spaces.

• Frequency: Refers to the number of complete wavelengths that pass a fixed point per second, measured in Hertz (Hz).

• Interference: Happens when two or more waves coincide and combine to create a new wave pattern, leading to constructive or destructive interference.

• Medium: The material that facilitates the transmission of a wave, which can be solid, liquid, or gas.

• Rarefaction: Describes the region in a longitudinal wave where particles are spread apart, crucial for understanding wave behavior.

• Refraction: The bending of a wave that occurs when it transitions between different media, affecting wave speed and direction.

• Resonance: A phenomenon where an object vibrates with greater amplitude at its natural frequency due to external forces.

• Standing Wave: Forms when waves interfere with each other in a steady pattern, resulting in nodes and antinodes that do not appear to travel.

• Transverse Waves: Defined by particle movement that is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation; examples include light waves.

• Trough: The lowest point on a wave, opposite of the crest, which indicates the wave's depth.

• Wave: A disturbance that transfers energy through matter or space, critically important for understanding various physical phenomena.

• Wavelength: The measured distance between two consecutive similar points on a wave, such as crest to crest or trough to trough.