Wellenmaß

Wellenmaß is a term used in German-language physics and engineering to denote the set of quantities used to describe waves. It is not a single value but a collection of parameters that specify a wave’s temporal and spatial properties, including frequency f, wavelength λ, amplitude A, and phase φ, as well as wave velocity v. In many contexts the angular frequency ω = 2πf and the wavenumber k = 2π/λ are used, with the relation v = fλ = ω/k. In dispersive media, phase velocity and group velocity can differ, v_p = ω/k and v_g = dω/dk.

Measurement and analysis of these quantities employ a range of instruments and techniques. Optical interferometers and spectrometers determine wavelength and spectral content of light; oscilloscopes and sensors characterize time-domain waveforms for various media; hydrophones measure acoustic waves in liquids; seismographs record seismic waves in the Earth. Time-domain measurements yield period and frequency, while frequency-domain methods use Fourier analysis to extract spectral components and amplitudes.

Contexts and applications for the Wellenmaß span optics, acoustics, water waves, and seismology. In optics, the wavelength in a medium relates to the vacuum wavelength by λ = λ0/n, where n is the refractive index. In acoustics, amplitude corresponds to sound pressure, and in oceanography, wave height and period describe sea states. The concept serves as a framework for comparing different waves and for modeling wave propagation in various media.

See also: Wellenlänge, Frequenz, Amplitude, Wellenfront, Fourier analysis, Wave equation.