Sound Vocabulary

Sonar

• System that uses the reflection of sound waves to find underwater objects.

• A device that measures the temperature of water.

• A technology for mapping the ocean floor using light.

• An instrument for detecting air pressure changes.

Medium

• A type of wave

• Material in which a wave travels.

• A measurement of frequency

• A method of sound production

Vibration

• Rapid back-and-forth motion that can occur in solids, liquids, or gases.

• A slow and steady movement in a single direction.

• A type of sound wave that travels through air.

• A sudden and violent shaking of the ground.

Echo

• Reflected sound wave.

• Sound wave that is absorbed.

• Sound wave that is amplified.

• Sound wave that is distorted.

Echolocation

• Process an animal uses to locate an object by means of reflected sounds.

• A method of communication using visual signals.

• A technique for navigating using the stars.

• A way to detect temperature changes in the environment.

Interference

• Combination of overlapping waves, resulting in a new wave.

• A method of sound amplification.

• The process of wave reflection.

• A technique for wave frequency modulation.

Acoustics

• The study of how sound interacts with structures.

• The analysis of light waves and their properties.

• The examination of electrical signals in communication systems.

• The exploration of chemical reactions in different environments.

Compression

• Region of a longitudinal wave where the particles in the medium are closest together.

• Region of a longitudinal wave where the particles are farthest apart.

• A type of wave that travels through a vacuum.

• A measure of how much a wave is stretched.

Amplitude

• Maximum distance the particles in a medium move from their rest positions as a longitudinal wave passes through the medium.

• The speed at which a wave travels through a medium.

• The frequency of the wave measured in hertz.

• The wavelength of the wave measured in meters.

Sound Wave

• A transverse wave that can travel through a vacuum.

• A longitudinal wave that can only travel through matter.

• A type of electromagnetic wave that travels at the speed of light.

• A wave that can only travel through liquids and gases.