What is the unit of measurement that describes the number of wave peaks passing a point per second?

The unit that describes the number of wave peaks passing a point per second is Hertz. Hertz is defined as one cycle per second and is used to measure frequency. In the context of waves, frequency is a crucial characteristic that indicates how many complete waveforms, such as peaks or troughs, traverse a particular point in a given time frame, typically one second.

Wavelength refers to the distance between successive peaks or troughs of a wave, which does not provide information about how many peaks pass a point in a time period. Amplitude measures the height of the wave, from the midpoint to the peak, which relates to the energy or intensity of the wave, rather than its frequency. Decibel is a unit used to express the intensity of sound, which is related to amplitude but not frequency.

Thus, Hertz is the appropriate unit for quantifying how often wave peaks occur over time.