Aerospace Physiology 2026 Comprehensive Practice Test

Frequency is the rate at which the wave repeats its cycle, i.e., the number of oscillations per second. It’s measured in hertz and explains why different sounds have different pitches: higher frequency means more rapid oscillations and a higher pitch. In a single medium, speed and wavelength relate to frequency through v = fλ, but the essential point here is that the count of how many times the wave oscillates each second defines frequency. Wavelength is the spatial distance of one cycle, amplitude is the maximum displacement (how loud-ish the wave can be), and speed is how fast the wave travels. So the number of oscillations per second is frequency.