Wavelength

What Does Wavelength Mean?

Wavelength refers to the length or distance between two identical points of neighboring cycles of a wave signal traveling in space or in any physical medium. The length is measured in distance specifications such as meters, centimeters or millimeters. The wavelength of a signal is inversely proportional to its frequency, that is, the higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength.

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Techopedia Explains Wavelength

Wavelength depends on the medium the wave is traveling. Wavelength is a concept most often used to describe sinusoidal or nearly sinusoidal waves because it does not get deformed during its propagation and, hence, the laws of a linear system can be applied on it wherever in space. Wavelength is a characteristic of a wave in space, which also depends on the frequency of the wave. The frequency for a sinusoidal wave remains constant, whereas the phase (and sometimes amplitude) of a wave does change. Concepts like superimposition do not change the wavelength and frequency of a sinusoidal wave, which depends only on its source of production.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…