Wavenumber in most physical sciences is a wave property inversely related to wavelength, having SI units of reciprocal meters (m−1). Wavenumber is the spatial analogue of frequency. Application of a Fourier transformation on data as a function of time yields a frequency spectrum; application on data as a function of position yields a wavenumber spectrum. The exact definition varies depending on the field of study.
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The number of wave crests per unit distance. Wavenumber is the reciprocal of wavelength . Wavenumbers are used extensively in infrared spectroscopy , and usually have units of cm-1.