What is the maximum displacement of a point from its rest position called?

What is the maximum displacement of a point from its rest position called?

• A. Amplitude
• B. Phase
• C. Period
• D. Wavelength

Answer: (A)

Displacement is how far something is from its rest position. The maximum size of that displacement during the motion is called the amplitude. It tells you how far the object moves at its furthest point from equilibrium, like how far a swinging pendulum reaches from its lowest point or how far a mass on a spring stretches at its maximum extension. In waves, amplitude is the height of the wave above or below the rest line. Other terms describe different ideas: phase is where you are in the cycle at a given moment, period is how long one complete cycle takes, and wavelength is the spatial distance between repeating points in the wave. Amplitude is also related to energy: bigger amplitude means more energy. It’s measured in units of distance, such as meters.

Displacement is how far something is from its rest position. The maximum size of that displacement during the motion is called the amplitude. It tells you how far the object moves at its furthest point from equilibrium, like how far a swinging pendulum reaches from its lowest point or how far a mass on a spring stretches at its maximum extension. In waves, amplitude is the height of the wave above or below the rest line. Other terms describe different ideas: phase is where you are in the cycle at a given moment, period is how long one complete cycle takes, and wavelength is the spatial distance between repeating points in the wave. Amplitude is also related to energy: bigger amplitude means more energy. It’s measured in units of distance, such as meters.