Science of Sound: 4. Measuring Frequency
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Sound waves have a pattern that repeats itself. Each repeat is said to be one cycle. Frequency is a measure of how quickly the wave repeats itself. It is commonly measured in hertz (Hz) — the number of cycles completed in one second. For example, a wave that cycles 5 times per second is said to have a frequency of 5 Hz.
Frequency: the number of complete wave cycles per second (Hz). Each color in the illustration at right represents one complete cycle of a sound wave.