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GCSE Physics · key term
The time taken for one complete wave cycle, measured in seconds (s).
Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Specification 4.6.1.2, 4.7.3.2 · Paper 2
The time taken for one complete wave to pass a point, measured in seconds (s).
Revise: Wave Descriptors and the Wave EquationOn a displacement-against-time graph for one fixed point, the time between successive crests is the period. It is not a wavelength: the horizontal axis shows time rather than distance.
The time taken for one complete cycle of a repeating waveform.
Specification 4.4 · Paper 1
The time taken for one complete wave cycle or oscillation, measured in seconds (s).
Revise: Wave TermsAmplitude describes the size of the disturbance, period describes its timing, wave velocity describes how quickly it propagates and wavefronts show its position and direction of travel.
Specification P5.1a · Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 4 (Higher)
The time taken for one complete cycle, measured in seconds (s).
Revise: Wave motion descriptionFour quantities describe this motion: amplitude tells us the size of the disturbance, wavelength its spatial length, frequency how often cycles occur and period how long one cycle lasts.
Paper 1, Paper 2
Revise: Properties and Types of WavesFrequency and period describe the same repetition in opposite ways.
Check the horizontal axis: crest-to-crest is a wavelength on a distance diagram, but a period on a time graph.
Check the horizontal axis before taking a reading: separation on a time axis gives period, whereas separation on a distance axis gives wavelength.
Check the horizontal axis before interpreting a wave graph. On a distance graph, one cycle gives the wavelength; on a time trace, one cycle gives the period.
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