The amplitude of a wave is the
maximum displacement of a
particle from its rest postiion
The crest of a wave is the highest
point on a wave above its rest
position
The trough of a wave is the
lowest point on a wave below its
rest position
The wavelength of a wave is the
distance between who successive
points on a wave having the same
displacement and moving in the
same direction
The frequency of a wave is the
number of complete waves
passing a point in one second
Wave speed = frequency x wavelength
Getting messages across
Some optical instruments use two or more plane
mirrors
Refraction occurs because the speed of waves
decreases as the wave enters a more dense
medium and increases as the wave enters a less
dense medium. The frequency stays the same
but the wavelength changes
Diffraction is the
spreading out of a wave
as it passes through a
gap.
The size of a communications receiver
depends on the wavelength of the
radiation