Sageduse

Sageduse is the Estonian term for frequency. In physics, frequency is the number of complete cycles of a periodic phenomenon that occur per unit time. The standard unit is the hertz (Hz), equal to one cycle per second. For a signal with period T, the frequency is f = 1/T, and angular frequency ω = 2πf is used in equations involving oscillations and rotating systems.

Frequency describes the position of a wave or signal in the spectrum. For electromagnetic waves, the relation f = c/λ connects frequency to wavelength, where c is the speed of light. In acoustics, frequency determines pitch, with the typical human hearing range spanning roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Different materials and systems respond preferentially to specific frequency ranges, shaping communication, imaging, and sensing technologies.

In engineering and signal processing, frequency is central to design and analysis. Oscillators generate signals at chosen frequencies, filters shape frequency content, and modulators control information transfer. When sampling continuous signals, the sampling frequency fs must be sufficiently high to capture the signal accurately; the Nyquist theorem states that fs should be at least twice the signal bandwidth to avoid aliasing. Fourier analysis decomposes signals into components at various frequencies, producing a frequency spectrum or spectrogram.

Frequency can be instantaneous for non-stationary signals or averaged over time for steady phenomena. The concept is widely used across science, technology, and music, from timing devices and radio communication to audio engineering and metrology. In Estonian texts, the word sageduse is often encountered in its genitive form sageduse, indicating “of frequency” or “the frequency’s.”