a disturbance that transfers energy from place to place

ability to do work

A wave that requires a medium through which to travel

A repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down motion

A wave in which the particles of the medium move perpendicularly to the direction the wave is traveling

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

Highest point of a wave

Lowest point of a wave.

the part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are close together

a part in a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart

maximum distance the particles of a medium carrying the wave move away from the rest position

The position where the wave is at rest, half way between the crest and trough. Amplitude is 0.

the horizontal distance between two corresponding parts of a wave (ex. crest to crest; trough to trough)

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

Cycles or waves per second, frequency unit

wavelength X frequency

an object or wave hits a surface through which it cannot pass, it bounces back

The bending of a wave as it passes (and changes speed) at an angle from one medium to another

the angle formed by the reflected wave and the normal

A line perpendicular to the surface.

Angle between an incident ray and the normal to a surface.

wave passes a barrier or moves through a hole in a barrier; it bends and spreads out

when two or more waves meet

when two waves combine to make a wave with a larger amplitude

when two waves combine to make a wave with a smaller amplitude

a wave that appears to stand in one place, even though it is two waves interfering as they pass through each other

A point of zero amplitude on a standing wave

A point of maximum amplitude on a standing wave

when the frequency of forced vibrations on an object matches the object's natural frequency, and a dramatic increase in amplitude results.

The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.