Sound and Light Vocabulary

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light electromagnetic - -waves caused by vibrating

electrons in the atoms of matter

electromagnetic spectrum - -the light you can see is

part of this group of light waves

Roy G Biv - -the order of light in its wavelengths

from the longest to shortest, the seven colors in the

spectrum

opaque - -no light is transmitted (passed through)

through a material, all light is either reflected or absorbed

(ex. tree, rocks, mirror, metal)

transparent - -all light is transmitted through a

material, no light is absorbed or reflected (ex. air, glass,

water, clear plastic)

translucent - -some light is transmitted through a

material, but most is absorbed or reflected (ex. tissue

paper, notebook, wax paper)

reflection - -the bouncing back of light from a shiny,

opaque surface -- at the same angle the light ray hit the

object

transmit - -the light rays pass through a clear

material

absorb - -the light is "taken in" by the material

refraction - -the bending of light as it moves from

one material into another, causes a change in speed and

a change in direction of the light rays

lens - -a curved piece of clear glass or plastic that

refracts (bends) light rays, changes speed and direction

(found in cameras, microscopes, telescopes, eyeglasses)

concave lens - -a lens that is thinner in the center

and "caves in", and thicker at the edges (bends light

outward)

convex lens - -a lens that is thicker in the center and

thinner at the edges (bends light inward)

prism - -a clear glass or plastic crystal that refracts

(bends) white light into its seven colors

luminous - -materials that are a direct source of light

(fire, sun - not the moon)

shadow - -an absence of light

vacuum - -empty, airless space with no matter

light - -movement travels in a straight line, and light

is able to travel through a vacuum (travels 186,000 miles

per second, travels even faster in a vacuum)

sound energy - -created by waves from vibrations of

matter, can travel in all states of matter (travels fastest in a

solid), but sound waves cannot travel in a vacuum

volume - -the strength or loudness of a sound wave

-- measured in decibels

pitch - -how high or low a sound is (the greater the

frequency - vibrations per second - the higher the pitch)

amplitude - -the height of the sound wave - the

higher the amplitude, the louder the sound

emitted - -gave off

medium - -the material through which a wave travels

range - -the difference between the highest and

lowest

audible sound - -sound that can be heard

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light electromagnetic - - waves caused by vibrating electrons in the atoms of matter electromagnetic spectrum - - the light you can see is part of this group of light waves Roy G Biv - - the order of light in its wavelengths from the longest to shortest, the seven colors in the spectrum opaque - - no light is transmitted (passed through) through a material, all light is either reflected or absorbed (ex. tree, rocks, mirror, metal) transparent - - all light is transmitted through a material, no light is absorbed or reflected (ex. air, glass, water, clear plastic) translucent - - some light is transmitted through a material, but most is absorbed or reflected (ex. tissue paper, notebook, wax paper) reflection - - the bouncing back of light from a shiny, opaque surface -- at the same angle the light ray hit the object transmit - - the light rays pass through a clear material absorb - - the light is "taken in" by the material refraction - - the bending of light as it moves from one material into another, causes a change in speed and a change in direction of the light rays lens - - a curved piece of clear glass or plastic that refracts (bends) light rays, changes speed and direction (found in cameras, microscopes, telescopes, eyeglasses) concave lens - - a lens that is thinner in the center and "caves in", and thicker at the edges (bends light outward) convex lens - - a lens that is thicker in the center and thinner at the edges (bends light inward) prism - - a clear glass or plastic crystal that refracts (bends) white light into its seven colors luminous - - materials that are a direct source of light (fire, sun - not the moon) shadow - - an absence of light vacuum - - empty, airless space with no matter light - - movement travels in a straight line, and light is able to travel through a vacuum (travels 186,000 miles per second, travels even faster in a vacuum) sound energy - - created by waves from vibrations of matter, can travel in all states of matter (travels fastest in a solid), but sound waves cannot travel in a vacuum volume - - the strength or loudness of a sound wave -- measured in decibels pitch - - how high or low a sound is (the greater the frequency - vibrations per second - the higher the pitch) amplitude - - the height of the sound wave - the higher the amplitude, the louder the sound emitted - - gave off medium - - the material through which a wave travels range - - the difference between the highest and lowest audible sound - - sound that can be heard

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