14.2 Periodic Waves

Part of Waves, Sound, and Physical Optics in AP® Physics 2: Algebra-Based. Read the opening section, then create a free account for the full interactive lesson, practice, and progress tracking.

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Period & Frequency

Periodic waves are a special type of wave that repeat. They consist of a repetition of many oscillations. The time between these oscillations is called the period. In contrast, the frequency is the rate at which the wave will repeat, and is measured in Hertz (Hz). They are related through the equation below.

T=\frac{1}{f}

${T}$ is the period of the oscillations
${f}$ is the frequency of the oscillations

It is important to note that the period and frequency of a wave are independent of the wave’s amplitude. However, frequency is directly proportional to the energy of the wave. The frequency of a sound wave is also related to the pitch of the sound wave.

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