Dive Deep into Earth's Waters: 2026 Earth Science Splashdown Practice Test!

Frequency is the rate at which waves pass a fixed point, measured in cycles per second (hertz). This concept describes how many waves occur per unit of time. For example, if 60 waves pass a point in one second, the frequency is 60 hertz. Frequency links to wave speed through the relation v = fλ, where the speed of the wave equals its frequency times its wavelength.

Amplitude tells how tall the wave is, while wavelength is the distance between successive crests, and tide refers to the regular rise and fall of sea level due to gravitational forces.