Waves Vocabulary

Amplitude

• the maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium.

Crest

• The crest of a wave is the point on the medium that exhibits the maximum amount of positive or upward displacement from the rest position.

Trough

• The lowest part of a wave. See more at wave.

Height

• The distance above a level or surface

Frequency

• The rate at which a vibration occurs that constitutes a wave, either in a material (as in sound waves), or in an electromagnetic field (as in radio waves and light), usually measured per second.

Wavelength

• The distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave.

Tension

• Apply a force to (something) that tends to stretch it.

Wave Velocity

• Wave velocity is a wave property, which may refer to: phase velocity, the velocity at which a wave phase propagates at a certain frequency. pulse wave velocity, the velocity at which a pulse travels through a medium, usually applied to arteries as a measure of arterial stiffness.

Wave Pulse

• A pulse wave or pulse train is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform that is similar to a square wave, but does not have the symmetrical shape associated with a perfect square wave. It is a term common to synthesizer programming, and is a typical waveform available on many synthesizers.