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73 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
amplitude
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The maximum displacement of a wave's medium from its equilibrium point.
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crest
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The highest point on a wave.
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electromagnetic waves
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Waves formed by rapidly changing electric and magnetic fields and that require no medium.
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equilibrium position
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The position of a medium that's undisturbed; its resting position.
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frequency
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The number of wavelengths that pass by a particular point in space during a one-second interval.
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longitudinal wave
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A wave in which the medium is displaced in a direction parallel to the motion of the wave.
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mechanical waves
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Waves formed by disturbances in a physical medium.
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medium
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Material through which a wave travels.
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period
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The time it takes one complete wavelength to pass a given point.
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periodic wave
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A series of evenly timed disturbances in a medium.
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reciprocal
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A mathematical relationship in which a value, expressed as a fraction, can be turned into the other simply by flipping the fraction.
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speed of a wave
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The speed at which a wave travels.
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surface wave
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A wave that combines transverse and longitudinal motion.
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transverse wave
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A wave in which the medium is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the motion of the wave.
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trough
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The lowest point on a wave.
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wave
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A regular disturbance that moves either through a medium or space.
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wavelength
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The distance between successive compression peaks in a wave.
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wave pulse
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A single disturbance moving through a medium.
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absorption
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The transfer of wave energy into the medium, usually in the form of heat, when a wave reaches a boundary.
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antinodes
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The points of maximum displacement in a standing wave.
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boundary
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The interface between two different media.
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compression wave
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A longitudinal wave that propagates through a series of rarefactions and compressions of the medium.
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compressions
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The higher-pressure (denser) regions of sound waves.
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constructive interference
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When waves interfere to create a new wave amplitude larger than either of the original waves.
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decibel
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A unit used to measure sound intensity, or loudness, using a logarithmic scale based on the powers of 10.
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destructive interference
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When waves interfere to create a new wave amplitude smaller than either of the original waves.
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diffraction
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The change in direction of sound waves as the pass nearby objects and obstacles.
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echo
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The repeated occurrence of a sound, caused by the original sound wave and its reflection reaching the observer at different times.
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fundamental
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A standing wave in a string that has one antinode and zero nodes. It is the loudest-pitched sound of a plucked string.
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harmonics
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The overlapping standing waves of many different frequencies that occur in a string when it's plucked.
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in phase
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When two waves have amplitudes that are in the same direction.
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interference
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The superposition of two or more waves, resulting in a new wave pattern.
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principle of superposition
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When two or more waves meet, the result is a new wave whose amplitude is the sum of the amplitudes of all the individual waves.
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out of phase
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When two waves have amplitudes that are in opposite directions.
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nodes
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The points of minimum, or zero, displacement in a standing wave.
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pitch
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The "highness" or "lowness" of a sound, as directly to and determined by its frequency.
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rarefactions
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The lower-pressure (less dense) regions of sound waves.
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reflection
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The reversal of wave propagation direction when a wave reaches a boundary.
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refraction
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The transmission of a wave across a boundary, during which its frequency remains constant.
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reverberation
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The perceived elongation of a sound when the original sound wave and its reflection from a boundary reach the observer within 0.1 seconds of each other.
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standing wave
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A repeating wave pattern that has some number of stationary nodes and antinodes that can result from interfering waves.
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subsonic
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Slower than the speed of sound in a particular medium.
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supersonic
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Faster than the speed of sound in a particular medium.
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transonic
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Approximately the speed of sound in a particular medium. In air at room temperature, this is about 343 m/s.
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electromagnetic spectrum
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The entire range of electromagnetic radiation, from 0 Hz to more than 10^23 Hz.
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infrared
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Electromagnetic waves with frequency and energy just below the visible light spectrum.
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nanometer
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One billionth of a meter.
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pigment
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A substance used as coloring.
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primary colors
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Colors that aren't made up of any other colors. In pigments, the primary colors are magenta, cyan, and yellow. In light, they're red, green, and blue.
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prism
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A clear piece of glass used to separate white light into colors.
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secondary colors of light
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Colors formed by combining two primary colors of light.
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speed of light
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In a vacuum, the speed of light is 300,000 km/s (186,000 miles per second).
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ultraviolet
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Electromagnetic waves with frequency and energy just above the visible light spectrum.
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visible light
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Electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength between 380 and 750 nanometers.
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angle of incidence
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The angle the incident, or incoming, ray makes with the normal line.
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angle of reflection
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The angle the reflected ray makes with the normal line.
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concave lens
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A lens that's thicker at the edges than it is at the middle.
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concave mirror
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A mirror whose shiny side resembles the interior of a sphere.
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converging lens
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A lens that focuses parallel rays of light down to a single focal point.
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convex lens
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A lens that's thicker at the middle than at the edges.
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convex mirror
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A mirror whose shiny side resembles the exterior of a sphere.
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eyepiece
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In a microscope, the lens through which the observer looks.
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index of refraction
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A number that compares the speed of light in a given material to the speed of light in a vacuum.
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law of reflection
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When light hits a mirror, the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence.
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law of refraction
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When light travels from a less dense material to a more dense material, it bends toward the normal.
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lens
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A transparent material, often made of glass, that's either thicker at its edge or thicker at its middle.
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microscope
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An optical instrument used for viewing enlarged images of very small objects.
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normal
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A line drawn perpendicular to a mirrored surface.
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objective
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In a microscope, the lens closest to the object being viewed.
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real
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An image, formed in a mirror or a lens, that's inverted and characterized by solid lines drawn on the ray diagram.
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telescope
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An optical instrument used for viewing distant objects.
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virtual
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An image, formed by a mirror or a lens, that's upright and characterized by the presence of dashed lines in the ray diagram.
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wave-particle duality
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The theory that light travels as both a wave and a series of particles at the same time.
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