Which term describes the distance from one crest to the next?

Which term describes the distance from one crest to the next?

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

Answer: (A)

Wavelength is the distance from one crest to the next. It describes the spatial period of a wave—how far apart the repeating features are along the medium. In ocean waves, that means the space between successive crests (or between successive troughs). Amplitude, by contrast, is how tall the wave is—the vertical height from the rest surface to the crest—so it measures size, not spacing. Frequency is how often crests pass a fixed point per unit time, which is a temporal property, not the spatial distance. Tide refers to the long-term rise and fall of sea level due to gravitational forces, not a single wave’s spacing. Wavelength is often denoted by the symbol λ and has units of meters. If you know the wave’s speed and its frequency, you can find the wavelength with the relation λ = v / f.

Wavelength is the distance from one crest to the next. It describes the spatial period of a wave—how far apart the repeating features are along the medium. In ocean waves, that means the space between successive crests (or between successive troughs).

Amplitude, by contrast, is how tall the wave is—the vertical height from the rest surface to the crest—so it measures size, not spacing. Frequency is how often crests pass a fixed point per unit time, which is a temporal property, not the spatial distance. Tide refers to the long-term rise and fall of sea level due to gravitational forces, not a single wave’s spacing.

Wavelength is often denoted by the symbol λ and has units of meters. If you know the wave’s speed and its frequency, you can find the wavelength with the relation λ = v / f.