The number of waves passing any point per second is known as frequency.
Defining Frequency
Frequency is a fundamental concept in physics, especially when describing wave phenomena. It quantifies how often a repeating event occurs per unit of time. In the context of waves, it specifically refers to the rate at which wave crests or troughs pass a stationary observer or point.
Based on the provided information: The number of waves passing through a point in one second is called frequency.
This means if 10 waves pass by a point in one second, the frequency is 10. If only 2 waves pass in one second, the frequency is 2.
Units of Frequency
The standard international (SI) unit for frequency is the Hertz (Hz). One Hertz is defined as one cycle per second. Therefore, when we say a wave has a frequency of 10 Hz, it means 10 waves pass a point every second.
- 1 Hz = 1 wave per second
- 10 Hz = 10 waves per second
- 1 kHz (kilohertz) = 1,000 waves per second
- 1 MHz (megahertz) = 1,000,000 waves per second
Understanding Frequency in Practice
Frequency is a crucial property used to characterize various types of waves, including sound waves, light waves, radio waves, and water waves.
Here are a few simple examples:
- Sound: A high-frequency sound wave corresponds to a high-pitched sound, while a low-frequency sound wave corresponds to a low-pitched sound.
- Light: Different frequencies of light correspond to different colors. Red light has a lower frequency than blue light.
- Radio: Radio stations broadcast at specific frequencies (e.g., 98.7 MHz) to allow your radio receiver to tune into their signal.
In essence, frequency gives us a measure of how 'busy' or rapid the wave motion is at a specific location over a one-second interval.
