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Properties of Waves
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Wave | A WAVE is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another. |
Amplitude | AMPLITUDE is a measure of how far the particles in the medium move away from their normal position. |
Wavelength | WAVELENGTH is the distance from any point on a wave to an identical point on the next wave. |
Wave Period | The WAVE PERIOD (usually "period") is the time required for one cycle. |
Frequency | The FREQUENCY of a wave tells how many cycles occur in an amount of time, usually 1 s. |
Hertz | Frequency is expressed in HERTZ (Hz). One HERTZ is equal to one cycle per second. |
Wave Speed | The speed at which a wave travels--called WAVE SPEED--depends on the properties of the medium. |