What is the structure of a wave, including its high and low points?
1 Answer
The key attribute is its cyclic nature - continuously varying its value between a maximum and a minimum.
Explanation:
Waves can have simple or complex patterns, but the distinguishing characteristics of a wave (compared to particles or discrete phenomena) is that they are continuous and cyclical.
The wave height is the distance between the crest and trough.
The wavelength is the horizontal distance between two consecutive wave crests.
We measure the frequency of waves by noting the time it takes for two consecutive waves to cross the same point. This is called the wave period.
For a visual structure it is a sine curve. Other forms can be seen here:
http://www.spaceandmotion.com/science-physics-wsm-wave-diagrams.htm
Physical waves in nature and other descriptions are here:
https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/tsunami1.htm
