Final answer:
Wave frequency is the number of cycles that pass a point each second, measured in hertz (Hz). The period is the time for a single cycle, inversely related to frequency. There's also a direct but inverse relationship between frequency and wavelength.
Step-by-step explanation:
The frequency (f) of a wave is defined as the number of complete waves, or cycles, that pass a given point in one second. It is commonly measured in hertz (Hz) which is equivalent to cycles per second or s-1. The time taken to complete one cycle is referred to as the period (T), which is inversely related to the frequency. Since wave frequency is the number of waves per second, and the period is essentially the number of seconds per wave, we can express this relationship between frequency and period with the formula f = 1/T. Moreover, as frequency increases, the wavelength (λ, lowercase Greek lambda) decreases and vice versa, which is expressed in the equation c = λf, where c is the speed of the wave.