Loading…
Loading…
GCSE Physics · key term
One complete repetition of a wave or vibration.
Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Specification 4.2.3.1 · Paper 1
One complete repetition of an alternating pattern, returning to the same value and direction of change.
Revise: Direct and alternating potential differenceOne complete repetition is called a cycle.
Specification 4.3 · Paper 1
Revise: Frequency and WavelengthFrequency describes repetition in time: how often cycles occur. Wavelength describes repetition in space: how far apart successive cycles are.
Specification P5.1b · Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 4 (Higher)
Revise: Wavelength and frequencyThe wavelength is the shortest distance between two consecutive points that are at the same stage of a wave cycle.
Do not write that 50 Hz means 50 direction changes per second. It means 50 complete cycles per second; the direction reverses twice during each cycle.
Do not confuse a wave's frequency with its speed: frequency is the number of complete cycles each second, whereas speed is distance travelled each second.
Check the horizontal axis before interpreting a graph. On a distance graph, one cycle spans a wavelength; on a time graph, one cycle spans a period.
Create a free account to read GCSE Physics revision notes for your exam board and track your progress.