What is a Wave?
Medium
A material ( solid, liquid, or gas) through which waves can travel
Frequency
A measure of how many waves pass a point in a certain amount of time
Wave Speed
A measure of the distance a wave travels in a certain amount of time
Amplitude
A measure of the distance between a line through the middle of the wave and a crest or trough
Wavelength
A measure of the distance from the crest on one wave to the crest on the very next
Vibration
A repeated back and forth or up and down motion
Wave
A repeating disturbance that transfers or moves energy from place to place
Resting Postion
An imaginary line that is equal distance from a crest and a trough running through a transvere wave
Convex Lens
Can make images appear larger as the light waves bend
Ultraviolet Waves
Electromagnetic waves with wavelengths between about 400 billionths and 10 billionths of a meter. These wavelengths are shorter than those of visible light, and carry more energy than visible light.
Vacuum
Empty space, example : outer space
Infrared Waves
Have wavelengths between 0.0001 meters and 700 billionths of a meter. All warm bodies emit infrared waves.
Transverse Waves
In this type of mechanical wave the particles of matter in the medium vibrate by moving back and forth and perpendicular (at right angles) to the direction of the wave travels
Compressional/Longitudinal Waves
In this type of mechanical wave the particles of matter in the medium vibrate by pushing together and moving apart parallel to the direction in which the wave is traveling
The Eye
Light reflected from objects in environment enter eye through pupil and is focused by cornea (fixed transparent covering) and lens (changes to adjust eye) to form sharp images of object on retina, which contains receptors for vision.
Retina
Located on the back inside of the eye, is composed of tiny light sensitive nerves that transfer the energy of the light waves to nerve impulses
Opaque
Materials that allow no light waves to be transmitted through them
Transparent
May be clear or colored materials such as filters
Absorption
Occurs when the energy is not transferred through, or reflected by, the given medium.
Transmission
Occurs when waves pass through a given point or medium.
Color Filters
Only allow certain colors of light to pass through them; they absorb or reflect all the other colors.
Plane Mirrors
Reflect light to form a clear image
Mechanical Waves
Require the particles of the medium to vibrate for the energy to be transmitted or transferred
Prisms or diffraction gratings
Separate white light into its different components or colors by bending the light at different angles depending on the frequencies of light passing through the prism or diffraction grating. Different colors of light have different frequencies.
The Inner Ear
The Inner Ear contains the cochlea. The cochlea is filled with fluid and its lined with tiny hair-like cells. Vibrations of the stirrup bone are transmitted to the hair cells. The movement of the hair cells produce signals that travel to your brain, where they interpreted as sound.
The Middle Ear
The Middle Ear is a sound amplifier. It consists of the ear drum and 3 tiny bones called the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. Sound waves that pass through the ear cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are transmitted to the 3 small bones, which amplify the vibrations.
Refraction
The bending of waves caused by a change in their speed as they pass from one medium to another. As waves pass at an angle from one medium to another, they may speed up or slow down. the greater the change in the speed of the wave , the more the wave bends.
Reflection
The bouncing back of a wave when it meets a surface or boundary that does not absorb the entire wave's energy.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
The complete range of electromagnetic wave frequencies and wavelengths
The Visible Light Spectrum
The entire range of visible light
Crest
The highest point of a transverse wave
Trough
The lowest point of a transverse wave
The Outer Ear
The outer ear is a sound collector. It consists of the part that you can see and the ear canal. The visible part is shaped somewhat like a funnel. This shape helps the visible part collect sound waves and direct them into the ear canal
Compression
The place on the longitudinal wave that is pushed together
Rarefaction
The place that is moving apart
Visible Light
The range of electromagnetic waves that can be detected by the human eye (ROY G BIV)
Translucent
Transmit some light, but cause it to be scattered so no clear image is seen
In, ROY G BIV, which color has the longest and which one has the shortest wavelength?
Violet has the shortest wavelengths and red has the longest wavelengths
Seismic Waves
Waves that are caused by an earthquake
Electromagnetic Waves
Waves that can travel through matter OR empty space
Cornea
Where light waves are refracted in the eye
Optic Nerve
Where light waves are transmitted to the brain for interpretation as sight