Shape a wave.
Increase the frequency, change the amplitude or shift the phase. Watch a disturbance travel through an ideal model.
IDEAL TRANSVERSE WAVEt = 0 s
Wavelength2 m
Period1 s
Speed2 m/s
The relationship that connects it all
y(x,t) = A sin(2π(ft − x/λ) + φ)
λ = v / f · T = 1 / f
λ = v / f · T = 1 / f
Amplitude is the maximum displacement. Frequency counts cycles per second; period is the duration of one cycle. At fixed speed, increasing frequency shortens the wavelength.
Follow the explanationA model for learning
We model a continuous sinusoidal wave in an ideal medium without dispersion, absorption or boundaries. The animation is a spatial profile, not a photograph. Points of the medium oscillate rather than travelling with the crest. The tool starts paused and respects reduced motion.
Reference: OpenStax · Mathematics of Waves