The bigness of a wave is defined as what?

The bigness of a wave is defined as what?

• A. Wavelength
• B. Amplitude
• C. Frequency
• D. Period

Answer: (B)

The size or height of a wave is determined by its amplitude. Amplitude is the maximum displacement the medium experiences from its rest position, which shows up as the vertical height of the wave on a graph (crest to rest line). Wavelength measures how far apart the repeating features are in space, not how tall the wave is. Frequency is how many cycles occur each second, and the period is the time for one full cycle. So, when we talk about the “bigness” of a wave, we’re really referring to how high the wave moves away from equilibrium, which is exactly the amplitude. Larger amplitude means a taller wave and typically more energy being carried by the wave in the given medium.

The size or height of a wave is determined by its amplitude. Amplitude is the maximum displacement the medium experiences from its rest position, which shows up as the vertical height of the wave on a graph (crest to rest line). Wavelength measures how far apart the repeating features are in space, not how tall the wave is. Frequency is how many cycles occur each second, and the period is the time for one full cycle. So, when we talk about the “bigness” of a wave, we’re really referring to how high the wave moves away from equilibrium, which is exactly the amplitude. Larger amplitude means a taller wave and typically more energy being carried by the wave in the given medium.