Mechanical wave

a wave that is an oscillation of matter, and therefore transfers energy through a medium. While waves can move over long distances, the movement of the medium of transmission—the material—is limited. Therefore, the oscillating material does not move far from its initial equilibrium position.

Medium

 is the substance that carries a wave (or disturbance) from one location to another. ... In the case of a sound wave moving from the church choir to the pews, the medium through which the sound wave travels is the air in the room

Crest

the highest point the medium rises to and a trough is the lowest point the medium sinks to.



Trough

 the opposite of a crest, so the minimum or lowest point in a cycle.

Transverse wave

a moving wave that consists of oscillations occurring perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

Compression

 a region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are closest together.

Rarefaction

 is the reduction of an item's density, the opposite of compression.

Longitudinal wave

 are waves in which the displacement of the medium is in the same direction as, or the opposite direction to, the direction of propagation of the wave

Period

is the time needed for one complete cycle of vibration to pass in a given point. As the frequency of a wave increases, the timeperiod of the wave decreases.

Frequency

the number of crests of a wave that move past a given point in a given unit of time

Hertz

s the derived unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI) and is defined as one cycle per second

Wavelength

distance between corresponding points of two consecutive waves

Formula for Speed of Waves

is the distance a wave travels in a given amount of time, such as the number of meters it travels per second. Wave speed is related to wavelength andwave frequency by the equation: Speed = Wavelength x Frequency. 

Amplitude

 the maximum displacement or distance moved by a point on a vibrating body or wave measured from its equilibrium position. It is equal to one-half the length of the vibration path

Sound waves