The number of waves transmitted in one second is referred to as what?

Frequency is defined as the number of waves that pass a given point in one second. It is measured in hertz (Hz), where one hertz equals one wave per second. This concept is fundamental in the study of waves, including sound waves, electromagnetic waves, and light waves. Frequency is a crucial parameter because it helps in understanding and comparing different types of waves.

For instance, in radar and lidar applications, frequency can determine the characteristics of the wave returned from an object, which affects how accurately we can measure distance, speed, or other properties. The other terms mentioned don't refer specifically to the number of waves transmitted per second: amplitude relates to the height of the wave, velocity pertains to the speed of the wave, and wavelength describes the distance between consecutive peaks of a wave. Each of these concepts plays a distinct role in wave behavior, but only frequency directly addresses the quantity of waves over a set time interval.