the.com/amplitude
the height of a wave's ambition, measuring how hard reality decides to shout
means The maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the resting position — how big a wave, swing, or signal gets at its peak.
from From Latin amplitudo, "wideness, breadth, abundance," built on amplus, "large, spacious, ample." It entered English in the 1500s meaning roominess or greatness in general, and only later did physics borrow it to measure the reach of a wave — the same root that gives us 'ample' and 'amplify.'
- sound link
- Doubling amplitude quadruples a sound wave's energy
- earthquakes
- Richter scale tracks seismic wave amplitude logarithmically
- quantum twist
- Probability amplitudes can be negative, then cancel each other
- radio roots
- AM radio is literally amplitude modulation of carrier waves
- pendulums
- Small swings keep the same period regardless of amplitude
richter scale — measures earthquake amplitude in california and worldwide, ranging 1-9+
wave height hawaii — surfing amplitude at pipeline reaches 20-30 feet during winter swells
seismic p-waves — primary earthquake waves with measurable amplitude used at usgs monitoring stations