What does a frequency of 20 hertz represent in wave production?

A frequency of 20 hertz indicates that 20 complete cycles of a wave are produced every second. In wave terms, this means that if you are observing a wave source that operates at this frequency, you would count 20 individual waves passing a given point in one second.

Understanding frequency is crucial in the study of waves because it directly relates to how rapidly waves oscillate or how often these cycles occur in a given amount of time. For instance, if a wave's frequency is lower, such as 10 hertz, then only 10 complete waves would pass through a point in one second. Conversely, a higher frequency results in more waves in the same time frame.

The other options relate to different concepts in wave mechanics. The idea of wavelengths in a given distance or time does not describe frequency directly. The time taken for a single wave cycle, also known as the period, is the reciprocal of frequency, so saying it takes 20 seconds for one wave is inaccurate for a frequency of 20 hertz, as this would mean the wave is extremely slow. Amplitude describes the height of the wave from its rest position and does not relate to frequency.

Thus, the definition of frequency as the number of waves produced in one second