alleryStart learning →A system completes 5 full oscillations every second. How is that frequency written in SI units?
A5 s, since one hertz is one second
B5 Hz, since one hertz is one cycle per second
C5 Hz, since one hertz is one cycle per minute
D5 m/s, since frequency measures a speed
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. 5 Hz, since one hertz is one cycle per second
1. Frequency is the number of events per unit time, here 5 oscillations in 1 second.
2. The SI unit of frequency is the hertz, defined as one cycle per second.
3. So 5 oscillations per second is 5 Hz.
4. The second is the unit of period, not frequency, and a hertz is never defined per minute, so those options misdefine the unit.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 16 "Oscillatory Motion and Waves", section 16.2 Period and Frequency in Oscillations_
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