amplitude
amplitude — noun
1. in physics, how far a wave, signal, or swinging object moves away from its resti
in physics, how far a wave, signal, or swinging object moves away from its resting line at its highest or lowest point — for example, a louder sound or a stronger radio signal has greater amplitude.
The amplitude of the sound wave doubled when Nikolai turned the speaker up.
the amplitude of [wave]
Engineers measured the amplitude of the radio signal at the top of the tower.
measure the amplitude of [signal]
As the pendulum swung more slowly, its amplitude grew smaller and smaller.
Earthquakes are ranked partly by the amplitude of the shaking shown on the seismograph.
Dr. Xander asked the students to draw a wave with high frequency but low amplitude.
文法句型
the amplitude of [wave/signal]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a wave, signal, vibration, or swinging object. Often paired with 'frequency' in physics contexts; the two describe different properties of the same wave.
常見錯誤
2. a great deal of something, especially the wide reach or richness of an abstract
a great deal of something, especially the wide reach or richness of an abstract quality such as knowledge, vision, or feeling.
Professor Liu writes with an amplitude of vision few historians can match.
amplitude of vision (formal)
The novel impressed critics with its amplitude of feeling and warm humour.
amplitude of feeling
Zara brought to the project an amplitude of knowledge gained from thirty years on the job.
Tova's early poems already showed an amplitude of imagination unusual for a teenager.
- scarcity
the opposite — a noticeable lack of something
- narrowness
opposite when amplitude refers to range or scope
文法句型
amplitude of [abstract noun]
用法筆記
Distinct from sense 1: this sense is uncountable and abstract, never about waves or measurable physical motion. Mostly limited to literary or academic prose; in everyday speech, 'plenty', 'wealth', or 'breadth' sound more natural.