What is a wave?
A way of transferring energy without transferring matter.
What is a medium in the context of waves?
The substance (solid, liquid, or gas) through which a mechanical wave travels.
What does energy transfer refer to?
Movement of energy from one place to another.
What is a vacuum?
A space with no particles, where electromagnetic waves can still travel.
What is a mechanical wave?
Needs a medium to travel (e.g. sound, water waves).
What is an electromagnetic wave?
Can travel through a vacuum (e.g. light, radio waves).
What is a transverse wave?
Particles vibrate at right angles to the direction the wave travels (e.g. light waves).
What is a longitudinal wave?
Particles vibrate in the same direction as the wave travels (e.g. sound waves).
What is a crest in wave terminology?
The highest point of a wave.
What is a trough in wave terminology?
The lowest point of a wave.
What is amplitude?
The maximum distance from the resting (equilibrium) position, linked to loudness or brightness.
What is wavelength?
The distance between two identical points on a wave (e.g. crest to crest).
What is frequency?
How many waves pass a point per second, linked to pitch in sound.
What is pitch?
How ‘high’ or ‘low’ a sound is, linked to frequency.
What is loudness?
How strong a sound is, linked to amplitude.
What is reflection in wave terminology?
When a wave bounces off a surface.
What is the law of reflection?
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
What is refraction?
When a wave changes direction as it enters a new medium.
What is a normal line in wave terminology?
An imaginary line at right angles to the surface.
What is a wavefront?
A line joining points on a wave that are all at the same stage of vibration.
What are radio waves used for?
Used for communication.
What are microwaves used for?
Used in cooking and satellite signals.
What is infrared (IR)?
Felt as heat, used in remote controls.
What is visible light?
The part of the spectrum we can see.
