If the frequency increases, what happens to the period?

• A. It becomes longer
• B. It becomes shorter
• C. It stays the same
• D. It doubles

Answer: (B)

When frequency increases, the period decreases. The relationship between frequency and period is inversely proportional, meaning they are connected mathematically in such a way that when one goes up, the other goes down.

The frequency of a wave refers to how many cycles occur in one second, while the period measures the time it takes to complete one cycle. This relationship can be described by the formula:

[ \text{Frequency} (f) = \frac{1}{\text{Period} (T)} ]

From this formula, it’s clear that if the frequency increases (meaning more cycles happen in the same amount of time), the period must be shorter to accommodate the increased number of cycles within the same time frame. Thus, as frequency increases, the duration of each individual cycle diminishes, resulting in a shorter period.