• Introduction
• Parts of a Wave
• Wave Equation
• Review & Tasks

The frequency of a wave is the number of waves that pass a certain point in a second. Frequencies can be very low or very high and are measured in Hertz. The frequency of a wave and the length of a wave are related by the wave equation.From the wave equation we know that speed is equal to the frequency of a wave times its wavelength:

s = f x λ

λ stands for wavelength.

The frequency and wavelength of a wave are related to its speed. But since speed is constant, as frequency increases, wavelength decreases. We say they are inversely proportional. A typical graph of frequency vs wavelength would look something like this:

As wavelength increases, frequency decreases, and as frequency increases, wavelength decreases.