alleryStart learning →In describing oscillations, what is meant by one cycle?
AOne complete swing in one direction only
BAny single disturbance of the system
COne complete oscillation of the system
DThe number of swings in one second
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. One complete oscillation of the system
1. A cycle is one complete oscillation, meaning the system returns to where it started and moves the same way again.
2. Half a swing is only part of that journey, so one direction alone is not a cycle.
3. A vibration may be a single event, but an oscillation repeats for many cycles, so those two words are not interchangeable here.
4. Counting swings per second gives frequency, which is measured in cycles per second rather than being a cycle itself.
_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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