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Wavelength:
Defined as the separation between two wave crests.
Measured using many different linear units: kilometers (km), centimeters
(cm), microns (), nanometers (nm), etc.
Usually expressed using the Greek letter
Frequency:
Defined as the number of waves which pass an observers location in a
specific time interval.
Measured in cycles per unit time, most commonly cycles per second.
Usually expressed using the Greek letter
1 cycle per second = 1 Hertz, abbreviated Hz
103 Hz = 1 KHz = one kilohertz (AM radio frequencies)
106 Hz = 1 MHz = one megahertz (FM radio frequencies)
Period:
Defined as the time it takes to complete one wave cycle. Period is the
inverse of the frequency.
Usually expressed using the English letter p
Period = 1 divided by the frequency (1 p)
Frequency = 1 divided by the period (1 )
Amplitude:
Defined as the strength or height of a wave.
Measured in linear units (meters) for a sound or ocean wave. For EM waves,
amplitude is often expressed in units of energy per time.
Speed:
The speed of a wave = the wavelength times the frequency
v =
All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed, 300,000 km per sec.
We already know that light acts like a wave, but did you know
that sometimes it acts like a particle? We call particles of
light photons. Low-energy photons, like radio photons, tend to
behave more like waves, while higher energy photons (i.e. X-
rays) behave more like particles. That's another reason that we
don't talk about X-ray waves very often. Instead we talk about
individual X-rays and their energies.
Did you know that electromagnetic waves can not only be described by
their wavelength, but also by their energy and frequency? All three of
these things are related to each other mathematically. This means that
it is correct to talk about the energy of an X-ray or the wavelength of
a microwave or the frequency of a radio wave. The electromagnetic
spectrum includes, from longest wavelength to shortest: radio waves,
microwaves, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma-rays.