Waves in Physical Science

A disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another.

"Light is an example of an electromagnetic wave."

The height of the wave from the center line to the top of a crest or the bottom of a trough.

"The amplitude of a sound wave determines its loudness."

The number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time.

"Radio stations broadcast at different frequencies."

The distance between successive crests, troughs, or identical parts of a wave.

"Different colors of light have different wavelengths."

The speed and direction of a wave as it moves through a medium.

"The velocity of sound waves is faster in water than in air."

The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface that it cannot pass through.

"The reflection of sound waves is what causes echoes."

The bending of a wave as it passes at an angle from one medium to another.

"A straw looks bent in a glass of water due to the refraction of light."

The spreading out of waves as they pass through an opening or around obstacles.

"Diffraction is why you can hear someone speaking even if they are standing behind a doorway."

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

"Noise-canceling headphones use destructive interference to reduce unwanted sound."

A wave in which the vibration of the medium is parallel to the direction the wave travels.

"Sound waves are a type of longitudinal wave."

A wave in which the vibration is at right angles to the direction the wave is traveling.

"Light waves are an example of transverse waves."