Period
Contents
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
Meaning
A period is the time taken for a single oscillation to occur.
About Periods
- A period is a scalar quantity because it has magnitude but no direction.
- The SI Unit of a period is seconds.
- Period may refer to the time taken for an oscillating object such as a pendulum or mass on a spring to make one full oscillation.
- Period may refer to the time taken for one wave to pass a point.
Equation
NB: You do not need to remember this equation but you should be able to find the period of a wave using the frequency.
Period = 1/(Frequency)
\(T = \frac{1}{f}\)
Where:
f = Frequency
T = time period (the time it takes for one wave to pass a point).
Example Calculations
| A wave has a frequency of 0.2Hz. Calculate how long it takes for one wave to pass a point. | The E-string on a bass guitar is plucked to produce a sound with a frequency of 41.25Hz. Calculate the time it takes for the E-string to make one full oscillation. |
| 1. State the known quantities
f = 0.2Hz |
1. State the known quantities
f = 41.25Hz |
| 2. Substitute the numbers into the equation and solve.
\(T = \frac{1}{0.2}\) \(T = 5s\) |
2. Substitute the numbers into the equation and solve.
\(T = \frac{1}{40}\) \(T = 0.024s\) |
References
AQA
- Period (waves), page 190, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQA
- Period (waves), page 227, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA
- Period (waves), pages 219, 220, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Period of a wave (T), page 183, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA
- Period of wave, pages 257, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
- Period, page 73, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Edexcel
- Period (of a wave), page 49, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
- Period (wave), page 32, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Period (waves), page 91, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
- Periods (waves), page 164, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Periods, page 18, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
OCR
- Period (of a wave), page 59, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Period (waves), pages 142-143, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
- Periods (in the periodic table), page 87, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Periods (of a wave), page 186, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Periods, page 16, Gateway GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR