Which parameter describes the time between successive crests of a wave?

Which parameter describes the time between successive crests of a wave?

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

Answer: (C)

The time between successive crests is the period of the wave. It is the duration of one complete cycle, measured in seconds, and tells you how long it takes for a fixed point to experience one full wave crest passing by. The period and frequency are inversely related, f = 1/T, so a longer period means a lower frequency and a shorter period means a higher frequency. The other terms describe different aspects: frequency is how many cycles occur per second, intensity relates to the energy transported by the wave, and wavelength is the spatial distance from one crest to the next.

The time between successive crests is the period of the wave. It is the duration of one complete cycle, measured in seconds, and tells you how long it takes for a fixed point to experience one full wave crest passing by. The period and frequency are inversely related, f = 1/T, so a longer period means a lower frequency and a shorter period means a higher frequency. The other terms describe different aspects: frequency is how many cycles occur per second, intensity relates to the energy transported by the wave, and wavelength is the spatial distance from one crest to the next.