The amplitude of an electromagnetic wave is directly connected with the amount of energy it carries.
In a wave diagram, amplitude is represented as the distance from the center line (or midpoint) of a wave to the top of a crest or to the bottom of a corresponding trough.
- When the amplitude of an electromagnetic wave increases, the overall distance between any peak and the next trough also increases.
- The greater the amplitude of a wave, the more energy it carries.
- The quantity of energy carried by an electromagnetic wave is proportional to the amplitude squared.
- The amplitude of the electric field of an electromagnetic wave is measured in volts per meter (V/m), while the amplitude of the magnetic field is measured in amperes per meter (A/m).
- Amplitude has an indirect correlation with the perception of the intensity of light and the brightness of colour as perceived by an observer because additional factors such as phase and interference must be taken into account.
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Related diagrams
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