What term describes the distance between successive crests in a wave?

• A. Frequency
• B. Amplitude
• C. Wavelength
• D. Period

Answer: (C)

The distance between successive crests is called the wavelength. It tells you how far the wave travels before the pattern repeats, and it’s measured in meters. Wavelength is the spacing of the repeating parts of the wave, like the gaps between crests on a ripple. This distance is connected to the wave’s speed and how often the wave repeats: speed equals frequency times wavelength (v = fλ). The other terms describe different aspects: frequency is how many crests pass a point each second, period is the time for one complete cycle, and amplitude is how tall the wave is from its rest position.