Here's a breakdown:
* Periodic Wave: A wave that repeats its shape over a certain distance.
* Spatial Period: The distance between two consecutive points on the wave that are in the same phase (e.g., two crests or two troughs).
Think of it like this:
* Imagine a wave traveling across the surface of water.
* The distance between two consecutive wave crests (or troughs) is the wavelength.
Key points:
* Wavelength is typically represented by the Greek letter lambda (λ).
* It is measured in units of length, such as meters (m), nanometers (nm), or centimeters (cm).
* Wavelength is inversely proportional to frequency (the number of waves passing a point per unit of time). This means that a shorter wavelength corresponds to a higher frequency, and vice versa.
Example:
* Visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from approximately 400 nm to 700 nm. Red light has a longer wavelength than blue light.
Understanding wavelength is crucial in various fields, including:
* Physics: Describing the behavior of light and other waves.
* Chemistry: Determining the structure of molecules.
* Astronomy: Studying the properties of stars and galaxies.