Which property of a wave is defined as the height of the wave?

Which property of a wave is defined as the height of the wave?

• A. Frequency
• B. Amplitude
• C. Wavelength
• D. Speed

Answer: (B)

The height of a wave corresponds to its amplitude—the maximum displacement of a point on the wave from its rest position. In a simple sine wave, amplitude is measured as the distance from the center equilibrium line up to the crest (or down to the trough, which is the same magnitude). This property characterizes how much energy the wave carries: larger amplitude means more energy and typically greater intensity in sound or brightness in light. The other properties describe different aspects: frequency is how many cycles occur per second, wavelength is the distance between successive crests, and speed is how fast the wave travels.

The height of a wave corresponds to its amplitude—the maximum displacement of a point on the wave from its rest position. In a simple sine wave, amplitude is measured as the distance from the center equilibrium line up to the crest (or down to the trough, which is the same magnitude). This property characterizes how much energy the wave carries: larger amplitude means more energy and typically greater intensity in sound or brightness in light. The other properties describe different aspects: frequency is how many cycles occur per second, wavelength is the distance between successive crests, and speed is how fast the wave travels.