Several waves can arrive at the same time from different directions with different wavelengths. These waves add together to create a complex pattern. In deep water, when the wave height exceeds seven times the wavelength, the wave breaks. Math Root Average period To find the average period of the wave add together the periods and divide by the number of measurements. The sine wave is defined in terms of angles such as degrees radians or grads.
Scientists usually use radians.
This is why the 2 p appears in the parentheses, it changes the units from cycles to radians since there are 2 p radians in one cycle. It may seem funny that we chose the minus sign here but this choice means that since L and T are positive the wave will move in the positive x direction. It has the name of wavenumber. It measures the number of radians per meter. When scientists see a sine wave equation in space and time they look at the terms in front of the variables x and t.