| A | B |
|---|
| Amplitude | measure of the energy a wave carries; one-half the distance between a crest and a trough of a transverse wave |
| Compressional wave | Wave in which matter in the medium moves forward and backward in the same direction the wave travels |
| Diffraction | Bending of waves around a barrier |
| Electromagnetic wave | Type of wave, such as a light wave or a radio wave, that can travel in a vacuum as well as in various materials |
| Frequency | Number of waves that pass a given point in one second; measured in waves per second, or hertz |
| Interference | Ability of two or more waves to combine and form a new wave when they overlap; can be constructive, forming a larger wave, or destructive, forming a smaller wave |
| Mechanical waves | Waves that can travel only through matter; can be either transverse or compressional waves |
| Reflection | Occurs when a wave strikes an object or surface and bounces off |
| Refraction | Bending of a light wave when it changes speed in moving from one material to another |
| Transverse wave | Wave in which matter moves back and forth at right angles to the direction the wave travels |
| Waves | Regular disturbances that carry energy through matter or space without carrying matter; can have different amplitudes, frequencies, wavelengths, and speeds |
| Wavelength | Distance between a point on one wave and an identical point on the next wave, is measured from crest to crest or trough to trough; in compressional waves, is measured from one compression or rarefaction to the next |
