Wavelength

The wavelength of a wave is the distance between two consecutive points that are in phase (for example, two consecutive peaks or troughs) in a wave.

Notation

We typically represente wavelength using the Greek letter lambda: .

Units

Wavelength is a, well, length, so we measure it in metres () - or another derivation of it, such as centimetres.

Calculating wavelength

Wavelength can be calculated using the formula:

Or, using symbols:

Where:

• is the wavelength (in metres, )
• is the speed of the wave (in metres per second, )
• is the frequency of the wave (in hertz, )