What is the time required for one complete vibratory cycle called?

• A. Period
• B. Frequency
• C. Velocity
• D. Amplitude

Answer: (A)

Period is the time required for one complete vibratory cycle. It tells you how long the motion takes to go through a full cycle and return to the same point in its cycle. In vibrating systems, period and frequency are reciprocal: T = 1/f and f = 1/T. So a longer period means a lower frequency. The period is measured in seconds, while frequency is in hertz (cycles per second). For example, if the motion makes 5 cycles in one second, the period is 1/5 second (0.2 s). Velocity describes how fast the position changes, amplitude is how far the motion moves from its rest position, and frequency indicates how many cycles occur per second, not how long each cycle lasts.