Frequency Amplitude and Wavelength of a Transverse Wave - simulation

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Amplitude, Frequency and Wavelength of a Transverse Wave - GCSE, IGCSE, A Level, GCE O Level A Level

Waves
A wave carries energy from a point to another point in a medium / vacuum without the movement of the particles along with it.
In the above animation, the wave moves from the left to the right; the particles, however, just vibrate vertically without moving along with the wave.

Transverse Waves
If the direction of the wave is perpendicular to the vibration of particles, it is called a transverse wave.

E.g.
Water waves, radio waves, microwaves

Amplitude
The maximum displacement of a particle in a wave is called amplitude.

Intensity / loudness
The intensity / loudness of a wave is proportional to the square of the amplitude.
The greater the amplitude, the greater the intensity / loudness.

Amplifier
This is what an amplifier does: it increases the amplitude of an input signal, which in turn leads to the increased loudness or intensity.

Frequency  - f
The number of cycles of a wave that passes through a point in a unit time is called frequency.

Wavelength  - λ
The distance between two peaks or two troughs is called the wavelength.
It is the length of a cycle too.

Wave Equation
The formula that connects the speed, frequency and wave length is called the wave equation.
speed = distance travelled in 1 second                  
           = number of cycles per second x length of a cycle
           = frequency x wavelength

speed = frequency x wavelength
v = fλ

Speed of sound in air = 320 m/s
Speed of radio waves = 3x108 m/s

You can practise the above with the following simulator:

 

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