A wave-cycle refers to the path of a wave measured from any point through the course of a single oscillation to the same point on the next oscillation.
- Visualise a wave-cycle as a series of points plotted along the path of a wave from one crest to the subsequent crest.
- All electromagnetic waves have common characteristics like crests, troughs, vibrations, wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and propagation direction.
- As a wave vibrates, a wave-cycle can be seen as a sequence of individual vibrations, measured from one peak to the next, one trough to the next, or from the start of one wave-cycle to the start of the next.
- Whilst wave-cycle refers to the path from one point on a wave during a single oscillation to the same point on completion of that oscillation, wavelength is a measurement of the same phenomenon but in this case in a straight line along the axis of the wave.
Related diagrams
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A wave-cycle refers to the path of a wave measured from any point through the course of a single oscillation to the same point on the next oscillation.
- Imagine a wave-cycle as a series of points marked on the path of the wave between one crest and the next.
- All electromagnetic waves share features such as crests, troughs, oscillations, wavelength, frequency, amplitude, direction of travel.
- Whilst a wave-cycle is the path from one point on a wave during a single oscillation to the same point on completion of that oscillation, wavelength is a measurement of the same phenomenon along the axis of the wave.