Wave Number (Noun)
Meaning
The reciprocal of the wavelength of a wave.
Classification
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure.
Examples
- Infrared spectroscopy relies on the wave_number to identify the molecular vibrations of a sample.
- To calculate the wave_number, we need to divide 1 by the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation.
- The wave_number is also known as the spectral variable and is commonly denoted by the Greek letter ν in many textbooks.
- After deriving the Maxwell equations for wave propagation in various materials, physicists became keen to extend Fourier analysis to relate wavelength and wave_number of waves.
- The wavenumber or wave_number is defined as k = 2π / λ, which implies a reciprocal relationship between the k and λ.