Mission WM2 Wave Characteristics
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A wave is established in a rope. The diagram below represents a 'snapshot' of the pattern in the rope at a given instant in time. Which of the given distances represent the amplitude of the wave? List all that apply ... .
The amplitude of a wave is the height of the wave; it refers to as the maximum amount of displacement of the medium from its rest position. It is often (but not always) measured as the distance from rest to crest.
A wave involves the repeating and periodic vibration of a medium. As each particle of the medium undergoes its up and down (or back and forth) vibration, the familiar wavelike pattern is established in the medium. At any given instant in time, there are positions along the medium that are displaced upward and positions along the medium that are displaced downward. The amount of upward and downward displacement varies from position to position. The maximum amount of displacement is referred to as the amplitude.
