Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
A periodic wave is a type of wave that repeats itself in both time and space. It has a consistent pattern and can be described by its amplitude, frequency, and wavelength.
Frequency is the number of complete cycles or oscillations that occur in one second. It affects how many times an object vibrates back and forth within a given time period.