Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
A sine wave is a smooth periodic oscillation that describes a smooth repetitive fluctuation. It’s named after the function sine, which it closely resembles.
AP course connection
Topic 3.11: 3.11 Spectroscopy and the Electromagnetic Spectrum