Behavior of Waves

When a medium is at rest position, it is not moving. 

Any amount of energy that moves through a medium will cause a mechanical wave. Depending on the amount of energy moving through the medium, the wave can be small to quite large. Consider the size of the wave that is caused by a pebble being thrown in to a pond of water. Then consider the waves caused by tsunamis (very large ocean waves caused by underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions).

The differences in the sizes of the waves has to do with the amount of energy moving through the medium.

Amplitude is the maximum distance the particles in a medium move from their rest position as the wave passes through the medium.

Another good definition for amplitude would be : the measure of the energy in a wave.

The amount of energy moving through a medium determines the size of the wave.

A small amount of energy will create a smaller wave.

A large amount of energy will create a larger wave.

Waves with more energy have higher amplitudes.

Waves with less energy have lower amplitudes.

A wavelength is the distance from one point on a wave to the same point on the next wave.

In a transverse wave, measure the distance from crest to crest and from trough to trough

In a longitudinal wave, measure from one compression to compression and from rarefaction to rarefaction.

The frequency is the number of waves that pass by a point each second.

Determined by how much the medium vibrates

Faster vibrations will result in higher frequency

When the frequency of a wave changes, the wavelength also changes

Longer wavelength have a lower frequency

shorter wavelength have a higher frequency