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Wavelength and Frequency (Simplified) definitions

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  • Electromagnetic Radiation
    A form of energy that travels through space as both waves and particles, including visible light and other types of radiation.
  • Photon
    A tiny packet of light energy that can behave as both a particle and a wave, central to understanding light's dual nature.
  • Wave
    A repeating pattern of crests and troughs that can transfer energy through space without moving matter.
  • Crest
    The highest point reached by a wave, representing the topmost part in a wave diagram.
  • Trough
    The lowest point reached by a wave, representing the bottommost part in a wave diagram.
  • Wavelength
    The distance measured in meters between two consecutive crests or troughs in a wave.
  • Frequency
    The number of complete waves passing a point each second, measured in hertz or inverse seconds.
  • Speed of Light
    A constant value of 3.00 x 10^8 meters per second, representing how fast light travels in a vacuum.
  • Hertz
    A unit equal to one cycle per second, used to express how often a wave repeats.
  • Inverse Proportionality
    A relationship where an increase in one quantity results in a decrease in another, such as frequency and wavelength.
  • Direct Proportionality
    A relationship where two quantities increase or decrease together, such as frequency and energy.
  • Energy
    A property of light that increases with higher frequency and decreases with lower frequency.
  • Origin
    The starting reference point in a wave diagram, often used to measure distances like wavelength.
  • Meter
    The standard unit of length in the metric system, used to measure distances such as wavelength.