Bellwork Clear everything from desk except: P / P Vocab. Notebooks Label the next entry “Waves Vocabulary” Wait Patiently & Quietly with your head down or read
Waves Vocabulary
Wave – a disturbance or disruption that transfers energy from one place to another
Medium – any substance that a wave moves through (solid, liquid or gas)
Types of Waves Mechanical Electromagnetic
Mechanical Wave – requires a medium to transfer energy
Electromagnetic Wave – DOES NOT require a medium to transfer energy
How Waves Move Transverse (wave) Longitudinal (wave)
Transverse Wave – the direction of travel is perpendicular to the disturbance “Trans” means across
Longitudinal Wave – the direction of travel is the same as to the disturbance
Wave Parts & Properties Crest Trough Midpoint Amplitude Wavelength Frequency
Crest – the highest point of a wave
Trough – the lowest point of a wave
Midpoint – the point half way between the highest and lowest points of a wave
Amplitude – how high the crest is above, or the trough is below the midpoint
Wavelength – the distance between two crests or two troughs
Frequency – the number of waves passing a fixed point in a given period of time High Frequency Wave: Low Frequency Wave:
Crest Wavelength Midpoint Trough Amplitude
Reflection – when a wave bounces off of something after coming in contact with it
Refraction – the bending of a wave when it enters a new medium
Diffraction – the spreading of a wave as it passes through an opening or around something