| A | B |
|---|
| Amplitude | A measure of the energy carried by a wave. |
| Compressional wave | A wave for which the matter in the medium moves back and forth along the direction that the wave travels. |
| Crest | The highest points on a transverse wave. |
| Diffraction | The bending of waves around an obstacle; can also occur when waves pass through a narrow opening. |
| Frequency | The number of wavelengths that pass a fixed point each second; is expressed in hertz (Hz) |
| Interference | Occurs when two or more waves overlap and combine to form a new wave. |
| Medium | Matter in which a wave travels. |
| Period | The amount of time it takes one wavelength to pass a fixed point; is expressed in seconds. |
| Rarefaction | The least dense regions of a compressional wave. |
| Refraction | The bending of a wave as it changes speed in moving from one medium to another. |
| Resonance | The process by which an object is made to vibrate by absorbing energy at its natural frequencies. |
| Transverse wave | Wave for which the matter in the medium moves back and forth at right angles to the direction the wave travels; has crests and troughs. |
| Trough | The lowest points on a transverse wave. |
| Wave | A repeating disturbance or movement that transfers energy through matter or space. |
| Wavelength | Distance between one point on a wave and the nearest point just like it. |
