Wave Vocabulary and Concepts

Front

Wave

Back

A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place.

Front

Mechanical Wave

Back

A wave that requires a medium through which to travel.

Front

Transverse

Back

A wave in which the particles of the medium move perpendicularly to the direction the wave is traveling.

Front

Longitudinal

Back

A wave in which the particles of the medium move parallel to the direction the wave is traveling.

Front

Medium

Back

The material through which a wave travels.

Front

Frequency (Hz)

Back

The number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time.

Front

Time (s)

Back

The duration in which events occur, measured in seconds.

Front

Period (s)

Back

The time it takes for one complete wave to pass a given point.

Front

Amplitude

Back

The height of a wave's crest.

Front

v = wave speed

Back

The speed at which a wave travels through a medium.