Question

Which wave has the smallest amplitude?

Answer 1

Answer:

C. C

Explanation:

A wave can be defined as a disturbance in a medium that progressively transports energy from a source location to another location without the transportation of matter.

In Science, there are two (2) types of wave and these include;

I. Electromagnetic waves: it doesn't require a medium for its propagation and as such can travel through an empty space or vacuum. An example of an electromagnetic wave is light.

II. Mechanical waves: it requires a medium for its propagation and as such can't travel through an empty space or vacuum. An example of a mechanical wave is sound.

A crest can be defined as the highest (vertically) point on a waveform.

On a related note, a trough is the lowest (vertically) on a waveform.

An amplitude can be defined as a waveform that's measured from the center line (its origin or equilibrium position) to the bottom of a trough or top of a crest. Thus, the vertical axis (y-axis) is the amplitude of a waveform i.e it's measured vertically.

In this scenario, waveform C which is represented by a blue curvy line has the smallest amplitude in comparison with the other waveforms because it has the minimum height when measured from the origin.

In contrast, waveform A represented by a purple line has the highest amplitude because it has the maximum height when measured from the origin.

Mathematically, the amplitude of a wave is given by the formula;

x = Asin(ωt + ϕ)

Where;

• x is displacement of the wave measured in meters.
• A is the amplitude.
• ω is the angular frequency measured in rad/s.
• t is the time period measured in seconds.
• ϕ is the phase angle.