Wavelength

Definitions: Wavelength

Wavelength

Noun

1. The distance (measured in the direction of propagation) between two points in the same phase in consecutive cycles of a wave.

2. A shared orientation leading to mutual understanding; "they are on the same wavelength".

Date "wavelength" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1985. (references)

Specialty Definitions: Wavelength

Domain	Definitions
Aerospace	In general, the mean distance between maximums (or minimums) of a roughly periodic pattern. Specifically, the least distance between particles moving in the same phase of oscillation in a wave disturbance.The wavelength is measured along the direction of propagation of the wave, usually from the midpoint of a crest (or trough) to the midpoint of the next adjoining crest (or trough). It is related to frequency f and phase speed v by ? = v / f , where ? is wavelength. The reciprocal of wavelength is the wave number. (references)
Electrical Engineering	The distance between the peaks of two consecutive waves in a wave train. Source: European Union. (references)
Energy	The distance between similar points on successive waves. (references)
Environment	The distance, measured in the direction of propagation of a wave, between two successive points in the wave that are characterized by the same phase of oscillation. (references)
Geological	The distance between successive points of equal amplitude and phase on a wave (for example, crest to crest or trough to trough). (references)
Mining	A. The linear distance between successive wave crests or other equivalent points in a waveform or harmonic series. It is equal to the velocity divided by the frequency--measured in cycles per second--and may be represented by the wave number in reciprocal units, e.g., cm--1 . b. In symmetrical, periodic tectonic fold systems, the distance between adjacent antiformal or synformal axial planes. For asymmetrical andnonperiodic systems, various definitions have been proposed. e.g., cm--1 . b. In symmetrical, periodic tectonic fold systems, the distance between adjacent antiformal or synformal axial planes. For asymmetrical andnonperiodic systems, various definitions have been proposed. (references)
Physics	The perpendicular distance between two wavefronts in which the phase differs by one complete period. Source: European Union. (references)
	The distance in the direction of propagation of a periodic wave between two successive points at which the phase is the same, at the same time. Source: European Union. (references)
	The distance from crest to crest or trough to trough of an electromagnetic wave (see electromagnetic radiation) or other wave. (references)
	A property of a wave that gives the length between two peaks of the wave. (references)
Science	Physical distance of one period (wave repeat). (references)
Solar	The distance between adjacent peaks or troughs of a wave. Wavelengths of light are typically expressed in terms of Angstroms or nanometers (10-9 meters). (references)
Space	The distance that a wave from a single oscillation of electromagnetic radiation will propagate during the time required for one oscillation. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Specialty Definition: Wavelength

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

nds:Bülgenläng

The wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a wave pattern. It is commonly designated by the greek letter lambda (λ).

In a sine wave, the wavelength is the distance between peaks:

The x axis represents distance, and I would be some varying quantity (for instance air pressure for a sound wave or strength of the electric or magnetic field for light), at a given point in time as a function of x.

Wavelength has an inverse relationship frequency, the number of peaks to pass a point in a given time. The wavelength is equal to the speed of the wave divided by the frequency of the wave. When dealing with electromagnetic radiation in a vacuum, this speed is the speed of light c, so the conversion becomes,

where:

λ = wavelength of an electromagnetic wave
c = speed of light = 3×10⁸ m/s
ν = frequency of the wave

For radio waves this relationship is easily handled with this formula: meters of wavelength = 300/frequency in megahertz (MHz)

Louis-Victor de Broglie discovered that all particles with momentum have a wavelength, called the de Broglie wavelength. For a relativistic particle, this wavelength is given by

where h is the Planck constant, m₀ is the particle's rest mass, and v is the particle's velocity.

Wavelength is the title of a 1978 album by Van Morrison.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Wavelength."

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Crosswords: Wavelength

English words defined with "wavelength": action spectrum ♦ chromaticity ♦ dipole, dipole antenna ♦ fluorescence ♦ gamma radiation, gamma ray ♦ homochromatic, hue ♦ monochromatic ♦ polychromatic ♦ radio emission, radio radiation, radio wave, roentgen ray ♦ short wave, spectrophotometer ♦ wave number ♦ X ray, X-radiation. (references)

Specialty definitions using "wavelength": De Broglie wavelength ♦ effective wavelength. (references)

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Modern Usage: Wavelength

Domain

Usage

Movie/TV Titles

Wavelength (1967)

Taggart: Wavelength (2000)

Linked by a Wavelength (1999)

Wavelength (1997)

Comedy Wavelength (1987)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Wavelength

Domain	Title
Books	Applications of High-Field and Short Wavelength Sources (reference) Long Wavelength Infrared Detectors (Optoelectronic Properties of Semiconductors and Superlattices) (reference) MIT Wavelength Tables, Vol. 1 · 2nd edition (reference) Passive Optical Networks and Direct Wavelength Access [DOWNLOAD: PDF] (reference) Phased-Array Wavelength Demultiplexers and Their Integration With Photodetectors (reference) (more book examples)

Theater & Movies	Wavelength (reference) (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music	Wavelength Infinity: A Sun Ra Tribute (reference) (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Photo Album: Wavelength

Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	Shows photofrin absorbed by cancer cells using photodynamic therapy treatment. Studies show when photophrin ii compound is used in photosensitive drug and is absorbed by cancer cells, the cancer cells could then be destroyed upon illumination of a particular wavelength of laser light. This treatment is known as photodynamic therapy (PDT).Credit: Unknown photographer/artist.		Seen is a "beam of light" traveling along fiber optics for photodynamic therapy for use in an operating room. Its source is a laser beam which is split at two different stages to create the proper "therapeutic wavelength". The patient has been given a photo sensitive drug containing cancer killing substances which are absorbed by cancer cells. During the surgery, the light beam is positioned at the tumor site, which then activates the drug that kills the cancer cells, thus photodynamic therapy.Credit: John Crawford (photographer).
	Shown is close up of surgeons' hands in an operating room with a "beam of light" traveling along fiber optics for photodynamic therapy. Its source is a laser beam which is split at two different stages to create the proper "therapeutic wavelength". A patient would be given a photo sensitive drug (photofrin) containing cancer killing substances which are absorbed by cancer cells. During the surgery, the light beam is positioned at the tumor site, which then activates the drug that kills the cancer cells, thus photodynamic therapy (PDT).Credit: John Crawford (photographer).		Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a procedure to treat cancer. Patients are injected with a photosensitizer which is a light sensitive drug selectively retained by cancer cells. When exposed to laser light, the photosensitizer in the cancer cells produces a toxic reaction which destroys the tumor. This photo shows an argon-ion laser, the first component of the argon pumped-dye laser (630nm red). This argon-ion laser emits blue-green light at 488/514 nm, and is used to excite a dye in the second component, the dye laser head, where the wavelength is changed to 630nm red. Different photosensitizers absorb light at different wavelengths. Some absorb light most efficiently in the blue light region of the spectrum around 400 nanometers(nm) with lesser absorption in the green and red light range. However, red light at 630 nm penetrates deeper into the tumor tissue (3-8 mm) than green or blue light. For this reason, the majority of PDT work has used 630 nm light. See artwork: GA-17.Credit: Unknown photographer/artist.
	Instruments mounted on the roof of the Clean Air Facility. Four separate wavelength pyrometers measuring total radiation from the sun and sky.Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Historic Usage: Wavelength

Author	Date	Quotation
Treaty of Versailles	1919	These stations may be used for commercial purposes, but only under the supervision of the said Governments, who will decide the wavelength to be used. (reference)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Wavelength

Subject	Topic	Quote
Health		This dye collects in tumors but not healthy tissue, and when the dye is activated by a bright light of a specific wavelength, the tumors that absorbed the dye are destroyed. (references)
Business		The MAN connects customers to the EBN using SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) and DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) transmission technologies. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Usage Frequency: Wavelength

"Wavelength" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 99.70% of the time. "Wavelength" is used about 330 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (singular)	99.7%	329	15,846
Noun (proper)	0.3%	1	339,140
Total	100.00%	330	N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expressions: Wavelength

Expression using "wavelength": be on the wavelength. Additional references.
Hyphenated Usage
	Beginning with "wavelength": wavelength-dependent, wavelength-synchronized, wavelength-tunable.
	Ending with "wavelength": quarter-wavelength, short-wavelength.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Wavelength

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Expression	Frequency per Day	Expression	Frequency per Day
wavelength	124	laser wavelength	4
electromagnetic wavelength	76	wavelength electronics	4
wavelength division multiplexing	60	by described equation sinusoidal train wave wavelength	4
light wavelength	22	24 wavelength	4
frequency wavelength	16	chlorophyll synthesis wavelength	3
color wavelength	15	colors wavelength	3
shop surf wavelength	9	morrison van wavelength	3
light visible wavelength	9	visible wavelength	3
formula wavelength	7	conversion frequency wavelength	3
spectrum wavelength	7	lamp na sodium spectrum wavelength	3
electron wavelength	7	sbi wavelength	3
calculator wavelength	6	absorbance strontium wavelength	3
color light wavelength	5	coding half life wavelength	3
infrared wavelength	5	definition wavelength	3
light spectrum wavelength	5	microwave wavelength	3
calculation wavelength	4	sound wavelength	3
light red wavelength	4	electromagnetic spectrum wavelength	2
measure wavelength	4	physics wavelength	2
magazine wavelength	4	reef.com.au wavelength	2
radio wave wavelength	4	wavelength audio	2
dense wavelength division multiplexing	4	uv wavelength	2
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translations: Wavelength

Language		Translations for "wavelength"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		gjatësi vale. (various references)

Bulgarian		дължина на вълната. (various references)

Chinese		波長 , 波长. (various references)

Czech		vlnová délka. (various references)

Danish		boelgelaengde, bølgelængde (wave length). (various references)

Dutch		golflengte (wave length). (various references)

Finnish		aallonpituus (wave length). (various references)

French		longueur d'ondes, longueur d'onde de phase, longueur d'onde (wave length). (various references)

German		Wellenlänge (wave length). (various references)

Greek		μήκος κύματος (wave length). (various references)

Hungarian		hullámhossz. (various references)

Indonesian		panjang gelombang. (various references)

Italian		lunghezza d'onda (wave length). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		波長 . (various references)

Japanese Katakana		はちょう (broken meter, out of tune). (various references)

Korean		파장. (various references)

Manx		tonn-lhiurid. (various references)

Pig Latin		avelengthway

Portuguese		comprimento de onda (wave-length). (various references)

Romanian		lungime de undã (wave-length). (various references)

Russian		длина волны (wave-length). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		talasna dužina (wave-length). (various references)

Spanish		longitud de onda (wave length). (various references)

Swedish		våglängd (wavelenght, wave-length, wavw-length). (various references)

Turkish		dalga boyu. (various references)

Ukranian		довжина хвилі. (various references)

Welsh		tonfedd. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Wavelength

Derivations
	Words beginning with "wavelength": wavelengths. (additional references)
	Words ending with "wavelength": multiwavelength. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Wavelength" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: wavelenght. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Anagrams: Wavelength

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-e-e-g-h-l-n-t-v-w"
	-3 letters: elegant, evangel, lethean, thenage, twangle, vegetal, ventage, wavelet, whangee, wheaten.
	-4 letters: atween, avenge, eaglet, ethane, gelant, gelate, geneva, gentle, hantle, heaven, lateen, leaven, legate, length, levant, negate, tangle, telega, thenal, twelve, velate, wangle, wealth.
	-5 letters: agene, agent, aglee, aglet, anele, angel, angle, eagle, eaten, elate, enate, event, ganev, gavel, genet, glean, gleet, halve.
	Words containing the letters "a-e-e-g-h-l-n-t-v-w"
	+1 letter: wavelengths.
	+5 letters: multiwavelength.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.