Amplitude

Wavelength

Speed

The maximim displacement. For

example, the amplitude of a wave on a
Depends on
horizontal string is simply the
type of wave,
maximum height that any part of the
we typically use
string attains above the string's
A for simple
equilibrium (rest) position (string
mechanical
stretched straight without any wave
waves
on it). The power that is carried by a
wave is proportional to A2.

The distance, in meters, between

corresponding points where the wave
repeats. For example, for a wave
traveling on a string, the wavelength
is the distance between neighboring
peaks, or neighboring troughs, or any
two points where the wave returns to
the same shape. Note that the distance
between neighboring points on the
string where the displacement is zero
is NOT the wavelength. Do you see
why?

The time rate of change of the

position of a wave form, in
meters/second. For example, if a wave
moves horizontally along a string, the
speed tells you how fast the peaks (or
troughs, or any other part of the wave)
are moving horizontally along the
string.
The speed of a wave depends on the
medium in which it travels.

Phase
Constant

Shifts the wave in position and/or

time. For example, two otherwise
identical (same amplitude,
wavelength, and speed) waves might
have different values at time t=0 if

their phase constants are different.

Derived
Notation

Definition

T=/v.

The time it takes to produce one

wavelength, or for one wavelength to pass
by a fixed point in space. This depends on
the wavelength and the speed of the wave.
For example, a wave that has a wavlength
of 6m and that is traveling at a speed 2
m/s, will take a period of 3s=(6m)/(2m/s)
to pass by a fixed point in space.

Frequency

f=1/T

The number of waves produced each

second,or that pass a fixed point in space,
in waves/sec or Hertz (Hz). This is
sometimes called the natural frequency to
distinguish it from the angular frequency.

Angular
Frequency

=2
f=2/T

Characteristic

Period

Since waves are usually periodic, one can

also associate their frequency to angular
rotations, with the wave repeating every
360 degrees ( 2 radians). The number of
radians per second that the wave is
moving/rotating is the angular frequency.
Strictly speaking the units are rad/s, but
since radians are dimensionless one often
see the units simply written as 1/s, which

is can be confusing since this is also the

unit for frequency f, which is not the same!

Wavenumber

k=2/

One can think of this as a spatial

frequency, the number of waves contained
in one meter (instead of temporal
frequency which decribes the number of
waves contained in one second).

Wavelength, Energy, and Frequency

The speed of light in a vacuum is commonly given the symbol c. It is a universal constant
that has the value

c = 3 x 1010 cm/second
The speed of light in a medium is generally less than this. Normally the term "speed of
light", without further qualification, refers to the speed in a vacuum.
A wave can be characterized by its wavelength, but we can also characterize it by the
frequency (how many wavelengths pass a fixed point in a given time; think of sitting on the
dock---of the bay---counting the number of water waves passing in one minute) and the
energy that it carries (think of a water wave knocking you over in heavy surf). For light
waves the relationship among the wavelength (usually denoted by Greek "lambda"), the
frequency (usually denoted by Greek "nu"), and the energy E are

where c is the speed of light and h is another universal constant called Planck's Constant
that has the values

h = 4.135 x 10-15 eV-sec = 6.625 x 10-27 erg-sec

in two different useful sets of units (eV stands for "electron volts"; electron volts and ergs
are two common units of energy). Thus, these equations allow us to freely interconvert
among frequency, wavelength, and energy for electromagnetic waves: specifying one also
specifies the others.