Transverse waves carry energy. Drag the controls to see how amplitude, frequency, and wavelength change a wave — then connect them to the electromagnetic spectrum.
⏱️ About 10–15 minutes · Do the four steps in order — finish with the Challenge
Try this: make the wave carry more energy without changing how many waves pass each second. Which slider do you use?
Amplitude
5.0 units
Wavelength
6.0 units
Frequency
0.8 Hz
Wave Speed
4.8 units/sec
Wave Controls
Amplitude5.0units
How tall the wave is — the distance from the rest line up to a crest. Bigger amplitude = more energy carried.
Wavelength6.0units
The length of one full wave — the distance from one crest to the next crest.
Frequency0.8Hz
How many full waves pass a point each second. Higher frequency = the wave wiggles faster, and the green dots bob up and down faster.
What are the green dots? They're particles the wave passes through — like bits of a rope or water. Watch one closely: each dot only moves straight up and down, in place. The wave and its energy travel sideways, but the dots never travel along with it. That's what makes this a transverse wave.
Wave speed = frequency × wavelength. In this sim you control both sliders, so the speed changes. In a real rope or pond, the material itself sets the speed — shake it faster and the wavelength gets shorter instead. Light follows the same kind of rule: through empty space it always travels at one set speed, the speed of light. You’ll see why that matters in Step 3.
Try this: give Wave A and Wave B the same speed but different wavelengths. What happens to their frequencies?
Two Waves, Side by Side
Wave A
Amplitude5.0units
Wavelength6.0units
Frequency0.6Hz
Wave B
Amplitude7.0units
Wavelength3.0units
Frequency1.0Hz
How do they compare?
Try this: find the waves that bring music to a car radio — then find the kind a doctor uses to see your bones.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Visible Light
Everything your eyes can see
Frequency
—
Wavelength
—
Energy
Medium
Every electromagnetic wave — radio, visible light, X-rays — is a transverse wave, and they all travel at the speed of light. Because the speed never changes, a shorter wavelength always means a higher frequency. Drag the slider or tap a wave type to scan the spectrum.
← Longer wavelength · Lower frequency · Lower energyShorter · Higher · Higher energy →