| A | B |
|---|
| Wave | a disturbance that transfers energy |
| medium | any substance a wave moves through |
| mechanical wave | a wave that transfers energy through matter |
| transverse wave | a wave that travels at right angles to the direction of the disturbance |
| longitudinal wave | a wave that travels in the same direction as the disturbance |
| crest | the highest point, or peak , of a wave |
| trough | the lowest point, or valley, of a wave |
| amplitude | the distance a medium travels above or below its position at rest |
| wavelength | the distance from one wave crest or trough to the next |
| frequency | the number of wavelengths passing a fixed point in a certain amount of time |
| reflection | the bouncing back of a wave after it strikes a barrier |
| refraction | the bending of a wave as it enters a new medium at an angle other than 90 degrees |
| diffraction | the spreading out of waves through an opening or around the edge of an obstacle |
| interference | the meeting and combining of waves |
