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