Hertz (Hz) is the SI unit of frequency
Frequency measures the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. In physics and engineering, it commonly refers to the number of cycles or oscillations of a wave that occur in one second.
The hertz is named after the German physicist Heinrich Hertz, who made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism and demonstrated the existence of electromagnetic waves. One hertz (1 Hz) is defined as one cycle per second. This means that if a wave completes one full cycle in one second, its frequency is said to be 1 hertz.
The formula to calculate frequency (f) is:
f = 1/T
where:
- f is the frequency measured in hertz (Hz), and
- T is the period of the wave, measured in seconds (s).
This formula states that the frequency of a wave is the reciprocal of its period. The period of a wave is the time it takes for one complete cycle to occur. Therefore, frequency represents the number of cycles per unit time, typically measured in hertz (Hz).