The measure of the displacement of the wave from its rest position. The higher this is, the higher its energy

When waves have a constant phase difference between them.

The highest point of a wave

When a wave remains in the same medium, but bends around an obstacle

Waves that can travel through a vacuum. They do not need a medium. Light is one type.

The number of times per second that a wave cycles. It is the inverse of the period

A measurement of the strength of a sound wave that is equal to the power divided by the area.

When one wave comes into contact with another wave

A special type of electromagnetic wave that has a frequency in the visible spectrum.

A wave where the disturbance travels in the same direction as the wave. Sound waves exemplify this type of wave.

This type of wave is a wave that must travel through some sort of matter called a medium. It cannot travel through a vacuum like outer space.

This is the matter that a wave travels through.

This is the time between wave crests. It is the inverse of the frequency

When a wave oscillates in one particular direction. For example, light waves are passed through a special filter to minimize the wave oscillation to one particular direction.

Occurs when a wave bounces off a boundary, changing direction but remaining in the same medium.

The change in direction and wavelength when a wave moves from one medium to another.

This is a number that describes how light travels through a specific medium. Different mediums have different indexes. For a vacuum, this is defined to be 1.

The tendency for a system to oscillate with greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others

The position the medium would take if there were no wave. It is represented on a graph by a line through the center of the wave.

Mechanical waves that are caused by a vibration of a medium's molecules. These can be heard by our ears.

A measure of how fast the disturbance of the wave is moving. It can be dependent on the type of medium that a wave is moving through.

A wave that remains in a constant position.

A wave where the disturbance moves perpendicular to the direction of the wave.

A traveling disturbance that moves through space and matter. They carry out the transfer of energy from one place to another, but not matter.

The distance between two corresponding points on back-to-back cycles of a wave. For example, between two crests of a wave.

The lowest part of the wave. The opposite of this is the crest.