WAVES Frequency, wavelength and velocity of waves..
Defintions
- The crest is the maximum amplitude reached by the wave, the trough is the minimum.
- The amplitude is the vertical distance from the middle point to the crest.
- The wavelength is the horizontal distance between particles in phase (that is particles in the same stage of their motion.)
- The frequency is the number of complete oscilliations a point on the wave undergoes in a second.
- The Period is the time taken for each particle to go through a complete oscillation and is 1 / frequency
The velocity of a wave is the distance travelled by the crest of the wave in a certain time. As a crest moves through on wavelength in a period,
this is equal to the wavelength divided by period, or more simply, frequecny multiplied by wavlength.
v = f l
Rob Coles 11 May 1996 09:24:55