What is wavelength? - Definition from Whatis.com

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wavelength

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wavelength

Wavelength is the distancebetween identical points in the adjacent cycles of a waveform signal propogated in space or along a wire, as shown in the illustration. In wirelesssystems, this length is usually specified in meters,centimeters, or millimeters. Inthe case of infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, and gammaradiation, the wavelength ismore often specified in nanometers (units of 10^-9meter) or Angstrom units(units of 10^-10 meter).

Wavelength is inversely related to frequency. The higher the frequency of the signal, the shorter the wavelength. Iff is the frequency of the signal as measured in megahertz, and w isthe wavelength as measuredin meters, then

w = 300/f

and conversely

f = 300/w

Wavelength is sometimes represented by the Greek letter lambda.

Related glossary terms: virtual area network (VAN), 10-high-day busy period (10HD busy period), graceful degradation, online, softswitch, maximum transmission unit (MTU), traffic shaping (packet shaping), Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS), WATS (wide-area telephone service), mail user agent (MUA)

This was last updated in June 1998

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