1. Waves Definitions © 2006 Certiport.com

2. Wave A rhythmic disturbance that carries energy without carrying matter.

3. Mechanical Wave Waves which use matter to transfer energy.

4. Medium The matter through which a mechanical wave travels.

5. Transverse Wave The wave energy causes the matter in the medium to move up and down or back and forth at right angles to the direction the wave travels (rope)

6. Compressional Wave Matter in the medium moves forward and backward in the direction that the wave travels. (slinky)

7. Electromagnetic Wave Transverse waves that are produced by the motion of electrically charged particles. They do not require matter to carry energy.

8. Amplitude The amplitude of a transverse wave is ½ the distance between a crest and a trough.

9. Wavelength I In a transverse wave, wavelength is the distance from the top of one crest to the top of the next crest, or from the bottom of one trough to the bottom of the next trough.

10. Wavelength II In a compressional wave, it is the distance between the center of one compression and the center of the next compression, or from the center of one rarefaction to the center of the next rarefaction.

11. Frequency The number of wavelengths that pass a given point in 1 second.