The number of cycles of a sine wave completed in one second is known as what?

The number of cycles of a sine wave completed in one second is known as what?

• A. Frequency
• B. Wavelength
• C. Amplitude
• D. Phase

Answer: (A)

Frequency is the rate at which a periodic signal repeats. For a sine wave, that rate is how many complete cycles happen each second, so counting cycles per second gives you the frequency. The unit is hertz (cycles per second). Wavelength, amplitude, and phase describe other aspects: wavelength is the spatial distance between repeats, amplitude is the height of the wave, and phase is the wave’s position within a cycle at a given moment. A wave’s speed links these quantities with the relation speed = frequency × wavelength. If a sine wave completes 30 cycles in one second, its frequency is 30 Hz.

Frequency is the rate at which a periodic signal repeats. For a sine wave, that rate is how many complete cycles happen each second, so counting cycles per second gives you the frequency. The unit is hertz (cycles per second). Wavelength, amplitude, and phase describe other aspects: wavelength is the spatial distance between repeats, amplitude is the height of the wave, and phase is the wave’s position within a cycle at a given moment. A wave’s speed links these quantities with the relation speed = frequency × wavelength. If a sine wave completes 30 cycles in one second, its frequency is 30 Hz.