| A | B |
|---|
| wave | A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place. |
| energy | The ability to do work. |
| medium | Material through which a wave travels. |
| mechanical wave | A wave that requires a medium through which to travel. |
| vibration | A repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down motion. |
| transverse wave | A wave that moves the medium in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels. |
| crest | The highest part of a transverse wave. |
| trough | The lowest part of a transverse wave. |
| longitudinal wave | A wave that moves the medium parallel to the direction in which the wave travels. |
| compression | The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are closer together. |
| rarefaction | The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are far apart. |
| surface waves | A wave that occurs at the surface between two mediums. |
| amplitude | The maximum distance the particles of a medium move away from their rest positions as a wave passes through the medium. |
| wavelength | The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave. |
| frequency | The number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time |
| Hertz (Hz) | Unit of measurement for frequency. |
| reflection | The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface through which it cannot pass |
| angle of incidence | The angle between an incoming wave and an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the surface of the new medium. |
| angle of reflection | The angle between the reflected wave and an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the surface of the new medium. |
| refraction | The bending of waves as they enter different mediums |
| diffraction | The bending of waves around a barrier. |
| interference | The interaction between waves that meet. |
| constructive interference | The interference that occurs when two waves combine to make a wave with a larger amplitude |
| destructive interference | The interference that occurs when two waves combine to make a wave with a smaller amplitude. |
| standing wave | A wave that appears to stand in one place, even though it is really two waves interfering as they pass through each other. |
| node | A point of zero amplitude on a standing wave. |
| antinode | A point of maximum amplitude on a standing wave. |
| resonance | The increase in amplitude of vibration that occurs when external vibrations match the object’s natural frequency. |
| seismic wave | A wave produced by an earthquake. |
| primary wave | A longitudinal seismic wave. |
| secondary wave | A transverse seismic wave. |
| tsunami | Surface wave on the ocean caused by an underwater earthquake. |
| seismograph | Instrument used to detect and measure earthquakes. |
