Wave (physics)

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/wave-physics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is a wave in physics?A wave is a way that energy moves through a material or a field, like a ripple in water or a sound that travels through the air.
2. How do mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves differ?Mechanical waves need a solid, liquid, or gas to move, while electromagnetic waves can travel through empty space and don't need a medium.

Transverse Wave: A wave in which the particles of the medium move perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.
Longitudinal Wave: A wave in which the particles of the medium move parallel to the direction of wave propagation.
Interference: The phenomenon where two or more waves superpose to form a resultant wave of greater, lower, or the same amplitude.
Diffraction: The bending of waves around obstacles or through openings, causing them to spread out.