What is the correct term for the duration of one cycle of the waveform?

What is the correct term for the duration of one cycle of the waveform?

• A. Period
• B. Pulse duration
• C. Duty cycle
• D. Phase

Answer: (A)

The duration of one cycle of a waveform is called the period. It is the amount of time it takes for the wave to complete a full oscillation—from a starting point, through a crest and trough, back to the same point on the next cycle. The period is the reciprocal of frequency, meaning higher frequency waves have shorter periods (T = 1/f). For example, a 5 MHz ultrasound wave has a period of about 0.2 microseconds per cycle. This differs from pulse duration, which is how long the signal stays "on" during a single pulse, and from duty cycle, which is the fraction of the cycle that the signal is on. Phase is about the alignment or timing between two waveforms.

The duration of one cycle of a waveform is called the period. It is the amount of time it takes for the wave to complete a full oscillation—from a starting point, through a crest and trough, back to the same point on the next cycle. The period is the reciprocal of frequency, meaning higher frequency waves have shorter periods (T = 1/f). For example, a 5 MHz ultrasound wave has a period of about 0.2 microseconds per cycle. This differs from pulse duration, which is how long the signal stays "on" during a single pulse, and from duty cycle, which is the fraction of the cycle that the signal is on. Phase is about the alignment or timing between two waveforms.