What term is the time between successive wave crests passing a fixed point?

What term is the time between successive wave crests passing a fixed point?

• A. Wave
• B. Wave Crest
• C. Wave Diffraction
• D. Wave Period

Answer: (D)

Period is the time it takes for one complete cycle of the wave to pass a fixed point, specifically the time between successive crests. It’s measured in seconds and is the inverse of the frequency (T = 1/f). This ties into wave speed too: a wave with wavelength λ and period T travels at v = λ/T, or equivalently v = fλ since f = 1/T. So if crests pass a point every few seconds, that interval is the wave’s period, and it tells you how often crests occur per second (the frequency). A wave is the disturbance; a crest is the highest point of the wave; diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles.

Period is the time it takes for one complete cycle of the wave to pass a fixed point, specifically the time between successive crests. It’s measured in seconds and is the inverse of the frequency (T = 1/f). This ties into wave speed too: a wave with wavelength λ and period T travels at v = λ/T, or equivalently v = fλ since f = 1/T. So if crests pass a point every few seconds, that interval is the wave’s period, and it tells you how often crests occur per second (the frequency). A wave is the disturbance; a crest is the highest point of the wave; diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles.