Waves - Overview 2023

Target Language or Knowledge:

wave A ________ is a disturbance that transmits energy. transverse A __________ wave move up and down, but the wave itself moves at a 90° angle to this motion. crest The highest point of a transverse wave is called ________________. trough The lowest point of a transverse wave is a _______________. longitudinal In a ________________ wave, the particles in the medium move back and forth in the same direction the wave travels. compressional Another name for a longitudinal wave is a __________________ wave. compressions A longitudinal wave consists of areas called _____________ , in which the medium's particles are crowded together. rarefactions Between compressions are ____________ , in which the medium's particles are farther apart. Surface ___________ waves occur at or near where two different mediums, or media, meet. These waves have properties of both transverse and longitudinal waves. Wavelength _______________ is the distance between 2 corresponding points on a wave cycle. between The wavelength of a transverse wave is the distance _________ two crests or two troughs. distance The wavelength of a longitudinal wave is the __________ between two compressions or two rarefactions. Frequency _______________ is the number of waves that pass a point in one second, is another wave property; long Waves with __________________ wavelength will have low frequency. high Waves with short wavelengths have ______________ frequency. Hertz Frequency is measured in units of ___________ (Hz). Amplitude __________________ is how much energy the wave is carrying. High crests, or tight compressions, are indicators of this. speed Wave ___________ is the speed at which a wave travels. ex. Speed of light, Speed of sound, etc. Refraction _______________ is the bending of a wave caused by a change in the speed of the wave as it passes through one medium and into another. interference As 2 or more waves overlap they combine to form a new wave. This is called _______________. Diffraction _______________ occurs when a wave strikes an object and the wave bends or changes direction as it moves around the object. ex. Radio towers, sound around corners, etc. Reflection _______________ occurs when a wave strikes an object and bounces off of it. ex. Mirrors, echoes, visibility of objects, echolocation, etc. resonance The tendency of a system to vibrate with increasing amplitudes at some frequencies is _________________. Mechanical _______________ waves require a medium (matter) in order to transport their energy from one location to another. vacuum Electromagnetic waves can move through a _________ because it is both particle and wave. Constructive The interference that occurs when waves combine to make a wave with a larger amplitude. Destructive The interference that occurs when two waves combine to make a wave with a smaller amplitude