PS Ch 17 Study Guide

Front

What is refraction?

Back

The bending of a wave as it enters a new medium at an angle.

Front

What unit is frequency measured in?

Back

Hertz (Hz), which is cycles per second.

Front

What is diffraction?

Back

The bending of a wave as it moves around an obstacle or passes through a narrow opening.

Front

What is a transverse wave?

Back

A wave that causes the medium to vibrate at right angles to the direction in which the wave travels.

Front

What is wavelength?

Back

The distance between successive crests of a wave.

Front

What is amplitude?

Back

The maximum displacement of points on a wave, which is related to the energy of the wave.

Front

What is wave speed?

Back

The speed at which a wave travels through a medium.

Front

What is interference?

Back

The phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet while traveling along the same medium.

Front

What is a longitudinal wave?

Back

A wave in which the medium's particles vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave's travel.

Front

What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength?

Back

They are inversely related; as frequency increases, wavelength decreases.