Measuring Waves

​​The peak is like the top of the hill, while the trough is like the bottom of the hill.

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Waves also have amplitudes, which is a measure of how tall a wave is above the center line.

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​Parts of a wave

The last identifiable feature of a wave is its wavelength, or the length of the wave from left to right. You calculate it by measuring from one peak to the next peak, one trough to the next trough, as well as from any point until one complete cycle has finished.

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Wavelength

Wavelength can be measured from crest to crest

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Or wavelength can be measured from trough to trough

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Imagine the red box is one second. The top wave has greater frequency than the bottom because more waves pass in that second.

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Frequency is the number of waves that pass by each second.

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When one increases, the other decreases.

Wavelength increases= Frequency decreases

Wavelength decreases = Frequency increases​

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Taller waves have more energy. ​

Sound waves with more amplitude are louder​

Light waves with more amplitude are more intense​

for light, it determines the color

for sound, it determines the pitch​

(how low or high the sound is)​

Mechanical waves need a medium

like gas, liquids, or solids​

Electromagnetic waves do not need a medium

They can travel through a vacuum

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• Radio

• Wi-fi

• Gravity

• light

• microwaves

• magnetic fields

• ​electrical fields

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