Wave and Sound Terminology

Front

amplitude

Back

the height of a wave from rest position

Front

crest

Back

the peak, or highest point, of a wave

Front

eardrum

Back

a thin piece of skin in the ear

Front

echolocation

Back

the use of sound reflection to locate objects

Front

frequency

Back

the number of waves that pass one point in a certain amount of time

Front

oceanographer

Back

a scientist who studies the ocean

Front

trough

Back

the valley, or lowest point, of a wave

Front

wave

Back

the form in which energy is transported through particles that make up matter

Front

wavelength

Back

the distance between one point on a wave and the same point on the next wave (crest to crest or trough to trough)

Front

longitudinal wave

Back

a wave that causes the medium to vibrate in a direction parallel to the direction the wave travels