Hands-On-Physics
WAVES

Information

- Concepts -

We shall use the wave pictured above to illustrate the vocabulary of waves. Some wave features are more easily understood if the wave is momentarily "frozen". These include waveform, wavelength, and amplitude. Waveform is the shape of the wave. In this case, we are viewing a triangular wave. Wavelength and amplitude are both measurements. Look below to see more about frequency and wavelength

Frequency and period are related. Frequency (in Hertz) is the number of waves passing a fixed point in one second. In essence, it is waves per second. In the demo above, the frequency is 0.44 waves per second (0.44 Hz). Period is the length of time required for one wave to pass a fixed point. In essence, it is seconds per wave. In the demo below, it is 2.25 seconds per wave.

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