Distance in space occupied by one cycle of a radio wave at any given instant is called what?

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

Answer: (A)

Wavelength is the distance in space occupied by one cycle of a radio wave. It represents the spatial period of the wave pattern—the length over which the wave repeats. This spatial length is linked to how fast the wave travels and how often it oscillates: lambda = v / f, so in free space the speed v is the speed of light, and higher frequency means shorter wavelengths. Frequency, by contrast, is how many cycles occur per second, not how far the pattern extends in space. Amplitude describes how strong the wave is (maximum displacement), not the cycle’s spatial length. Phase tells you where you are within a cycle at a given point in time or space, not the distance of one complete cycle.