Glossary term: Frequency
Description: Frequency is the number of oscillations per unit of time, as in cycles/second (or hertz [Hz]). It is a general property of any wave – sound wave, light, or gravitational waves. The frequency and wavelength of a wave are related by the formula frequency = v/wavelength where v is the speed of the wave. When discussing electromagnetic radiation astronomers will generally use either frequency or wavelength (sometimes interchangeably).
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Term and definition status: This term and its definition have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher
The OAE Multilingual Glossary is a project of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) in collaboration with the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The terms and definitions were chosen, written and reviewed by a collective effort from the OAE, the OAE Centers and Nodes, the OAE National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs) and other volunteers. You can find a full list of credits here. All glossary terms and their definitions are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-4.0 license and should be credited to "IAU OAE".
