What does amplitude describe?

What does amplitude describe?

• A. The speed of the wave
• B. The wavelength of the wave
• C. Height of the wave (describes its intensity)
• D. The medium through which the wave travels

Answer: (C)

Amplitude describes the height of the wave—the maximum displacement of a point on the wave from its resting position. That height is directly related to how much energy the wave carries, so a larger amplitude means greater intensity (louder sound, brighter light). The speed of a wave depends on the medium and the frequency, not on how tall the wave is, and the wavelength is set by speed and frequency as well. The medium is what the wave travels through, not described by its height. So the best answer is that amplitude is about the height of the wave and the energy or intensity it conveys.

Amplitude describes the height of the wave—the maximum displacement of a point on the wave from its resting position. That height is directly related to how much energy the wave carries, so a larger amplitude means greater intensity (louder sound, brighter light). The speed of a wave depends on the medium and the frequency, not on how tall the wave is, and the wavelength is set by speed and frequency as well. The medium is what the wave travels through, not described by its height. So the best answer is that amplitude is about the height of the wave and the energy or intensity it conveys.