Chemistry / Unit 5 Chem 0761 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Wavelength and Frequency
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The idea
A wave's wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks; its frequency is the number of complete cycles passing a point per second.
In practice
A radio wave with widely spaced peaks has a long wavelength and low frequency, compared to a tightly spaced X-ray.
Where people slip
Wavelength and frequency describe the same wave from two angles — neither alone tells the wave's speed.
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