Amplitude
Article
Amplitude is a measure of the maximum displacement or strength of an oscillation relative to a reference value. It may describe displacement, pressure, voltage, field strength, intensity, or another varying quantity.
For a sinusoidal wave, amplitude is the distance from the mean value to a peak. Peak-to-peak amplitude measures the difference between the highest and lowest values, while root-mean-square amplitude relates more directly to average power.
Amplitude is distinct from frequency, period, wavelength, and phase. Increasing amplitude usually increases the energy carried by a wave, often in proportion to the square of the amplitude.
The concept is used in sound, light, electronics, seismology, vibration, quantum mechanics, communication, and signal processing. Measurement conventions depend on the type of signal and application.
Source details and credits
- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplitude