What term describes the interval of time between successive occurrences of the same state in a cyclic phenomenon?

The term that refers to the interval of time between successive occurrences of the same state in a cyclic phenomenon is known as the period. In physics, particularly in the study of waves and oscillations, the period is defined as the time it takes for one complete cycle of a wave or periodic motion to occur.

For example, if you were observing a pendulum, the period would be the time it takes for the pendulum to swing from its starting position, reach its maximum displacement on one side, return to the starting point, and then swing to the maximum displacement on the other side before returning again.

This concept is crucial because it helps describe the timing characteristics of various oscillatory systems, including sound waves, light waves, and mechanical vibrations. Understanding the period of a wave is essential for analyzing its frequency, which is the number of cycles that occur in one second and is mathematically related to period by the equation: frequency equals one divided by the period.

In contrast, wave speed refers to how fast a wave propagates through space, amplitude describes the maximum extent of a wave's displacement from its rest position, and frequency indicates how often a wave repeats in a given time period. These definitions further clarify the importance of the period in understanding