types of waves

• waves - disturbances that propagate through a medium or space
• anything that moves back and forth, side to side, or up and down is vibrating - true
• sound and light are both vibrations that propagate in space - true
• mechanical waves - require a medium
• sound waves - mechanical waves
• seismic waves - mechanical waves
• electromagnetic waves - waves that do not require a medium to travel
• radio waves - electromagnetic waves
• visible light - electromagnetic waves
• x-rays - electromagnetic waves
• transverse waves - move perpendicular
• light waves - transverse waves
• crests - highest point or peak of the wave pattern
• troughs - opposite of the crest ; lowest point in the wave pattern
• longitudinal waves - move parallel
• sound waves - longitudinal waves
• ultrasound waves - longitudinal waves
• gamma rays - have the shortest wavelength and highest frequency ; used in radiation therapy to kill cancer cells
• reflection - bouncing back of the wave as it hits a surface
• refraction - bending of the wave as it enters from one medium to another of different density
• incident ray- incoming ray of the light that strikes a surface
• reflected ray - ray of light that bounces off the surface after being reflected
• diffraction - bending of the wave as it enters a small opening or a corner of a barrier
• interference - interaction of two waves when they meet
• amplitude - maximum distance that a particle is displayed from its equilibrium position
• wavelength - distance from one crest to the next crest, or from one trough to the next trough
• frequency - number of waves that pass per unit time
• period - time taken for a particle of a wave to make one complete cycle
• constructive interference - when the crests of the first wave meet the crests of the second wave and the troughs of the first wave meet the troughs of the second wave
• destructive interference - crests of the first wave meet the troughs of the second wave
• seismology - study of earthquakes and seismic waves that move through and around the earth
• seismologist - scientist who studies earthquakes and seismic waves
• seismic waves- waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock within the earth