| A | B |
|---|
| Wave front | Whole width of the wave |
| Waves of little or no curvature | Plane waves |
| Interference | What happens when two or more waves pass the same region of space at the same time |
| Principle of superposition | Explains the process of wave addition |
| Phase | Term that describes the relative position of two waves |
| Refraction | Velocity of the wave changes as a new medium is encountered |
| Diffration | Process where wave bend aroud obstacles |
| Period | The time required for one complete wave |
| Frequency | The number of wave cycles per unit time |
| Wavelength | The distance between two succesive wave crests |
| Law of Reflection | Explains why mirrors can form images |
| Huygen's Principle | Every point on a wave front can be considered as a source of tiny wavelets |
| Spectrum | Light spread out into component wavelengths |
| Light with wavelength less than 400 nm | Ultraviolet |
| Light with wavelength greater than 750 nm | Infrared |
