Video: Counting Waves

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Counting Waves

 
How do you count the number of waves in a wave pattern? The trick is to understand what a wavelength is. If you inspect this wave pattern, you will notice that there is a unit that repeats itself over and over again. A wavelength is the length of this repeating unit. And we refer to this repeating unit as being one full wave.  If this is one full wave, then this is one-half of a wave  … and this is one-quarter of a wave.
 
Use this understanding to count the number of waves. Put your finger at the beginning and trace over the pattern, counting by half-waves. From rest to crest back to rest is one-half a wave. And from rest down to a trough back to rest is another one-half a wave. Continue counting by halves and when you're done … 6 halves of a wave.  We conclude there are 3.0 waves in the wave pattern.
 
That's how you count the number of waves in a wave pattern.
 
I'm Mr. H, letting you know … You got this!

 
 

 

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