๐ Waves Have Common Properties
Even though waves can be different, all waves share four main properties:
Amplitude
Wavelength
Frequency
Speed
1. Amplitude
Amplitude describes how far the medium moves from the rest position.
It is the maximum distance the medium vibrates from rest.
Waves with more energy have a greater amplitude.
Transverse Waves
Amplitude is measured from the rest position to the crest or trough.
Longitudinal Waves
Amplitude is shown by how compressed or spread out the particles are.
Tighter compressions = larger amplitude
๐ Higher amplitude = more energy
2. Wavelength
Wavelength is the distance between repeating parts of a wave.
Examples
Transverse wave: distance from crest to crest
Longitudinal wave: distance from compression to compression
๐ Wavelength is measured in meters (m).
3. Frequency
Frequency is how many waves pass a point in a certain amount of time.
It is measured in hertz (Hz).
1 Hz = 1 wave per second
Examples
1 wave per second = 1 Hz
2 waves per second = 2 Hz
๐ Moving the source faster increases frequency.
4. Speed
Speed is how fast a wave travels.
Speed depends on the medium the wave travels through.
Formula for Speed
Speed
=
Distance
Time
Speed=
Time
Distance
โ
Example
Sound travels about 330 m/s in air at normal temperatures.
๐ If the medium and temperature stay the same, wave speed stays the same.
๐ How Are Frequency, Wavelength, and Speed Related?
The three properties are connected by this formula:
Speed
=
Wavelength
ร
Frequency
Speed = Wavelength ร Frequency
If you know two, you can find the third.
When speed stays the same:
Higher frequency โ shorter wavelength
Lower frequency โ longer wavelength