Space Station Glossary W

W

Wave:

A vibration in some media, which transfers energy from one place to another. Sound waves are vibrations transitory in air. Light waves are vibrations in electromagnetic fields.

Wavelength:

The distance linking two wave crests. Radio waves could have lengths of several feet; the wavelengths of X-rays are approximately the size of atoms.

White Dwarf Star:

The hot, dense remains of a low-mass star like our Sun that has tired its sources of fuel for thermonuclear fusion. White dwarf stars are usually about the size of the Earth.