The height of a wave, related to loudness or brightness, is called what?

The height of a wave, related to loudness or brightness, is called what?

• A. Frequency
• B. Amplitude
• C. Wavelength
• D. Velocity

Answer: (B)

The height of a wave is its amplitude—the maximum displacement from rest. Amplitude tells you how tall the wave is, and it relates directly to the energy carried by the wave. In sound, larger amplitude means more energy reaching the ear, which we perceive as a louder sound. In light, a larger amplitude of the electromagnetic wave corresponds to greater intensity, which we perceive as brighter light. The other properties describe something different: frequency is how often the wave repeats per second (linked to pitch in sound or color in light), wavelength is the distance between crests (also tied to color or pitch depending on context), and velocity is how fast the wave travels.

The height of a wave is its amplitude—the maximum displacement from rest. Amplitude tells you how tall the wave is, and it relates directly to the energy carried by the wave. In sound, larger amplitude means more energy reaching the ear, which we perceive as a louder sound. In light, a larger amplitude of the electromagnetic wave corresponds to greater intensity, which we perceive as brighter light. The other properties describe something different: frequency is how often the wave repeats per second (linked to pitch in sound or color in light), wavelength is the distance between crests (also tied to color or pitch depending on context), and velocity is how fast the wave travels.