Difference Between Wavelength and Frequency

Wavelength vs Frequency

Sound is the vibration of pressure in the form of mechanical waves or sound waves which are transmitted through any form of matter whether solid, liquid, or gas. It has several characteristics and properties such as the following:

Amplitude which is the measure of change in the oscillation of sound waves.
Direction which is the course towards which the sound waves are directed.
Sound pressure which is the local pressure derived from atmospheric pressure of the sound waves.
Sound intensity which is the power of sound waves per unit area.
Speed of sound which is the distance travelled by sound waves.
Wavenumber which is the property of a wave.
Wavelength which is the distance between each sound wave.
Frequency which is the number of times a sound wave occurs.

Wavelength is a measure of the distance between several sound waves and is used to measure the length of a sound wave in meters. When you hear different tones or pitches of sound, some high while others are low, it is due to the difference in the spacing of the sound waves.

When sound waves are closer together, they produce higher tones of sound while they produce a lower pitch or tone when they are far apart. Wavelength is dependent upon several features such as; crests or peaks, troughs or valleys, and zero crossings to determine its strength.
Being able to know the wavelength of a sound enables an individual to create instruments such as guitars, pianos, organs, and many other musical instruments which can resonate or reproduce the sound.

Frequency, on the other hand, is a measure of time and how often a sound wave occurs. Because all sound waves travel at the speed of sound, those with shorter wavelengths reach your ears more often than those with longer wavelengths. This is called frequency. The measure of how often a peak created by a sound wave occurs or passes a point. It is measured in hertz and is the vibration that is caused by the contact between sound waves and peaks or troughs.
Frequency can either be heard, as in the case of audio frequencies, or not as in the case of ultrasonic frequency which has a very high frequency, and infrasonic frequency which has a very low frequency. Earthquakes have very low frequencies; ultrasound waves have very high frequencies.

Summary:

1.Wavelength is the distance between sound waves while frequency is the number of times in which the sound wave occurs.
2.Wavelength is used to measure the length of sound waves while frequency is used to measure the recurrence of sound waves.
3.Wavelength can be determined depending upon the crests, troughs, or zero crossings through which sound passes while frequency can be determined by the number of times sound hits a peak or trough.
4.Wavelength is a measure of distance while frequency is a measure of time.
5.The International System of Units (SI) unit of wavelength is the meter (m) while the SI unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz).

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