On an oscilloscope, a sine wave appears as a smooth, continuous, and periodic waveform. The shape of the sine wave resembles a smooth, undulating curve that oscillates above and below the baseline. The vertical axis of the oscilloscope represents the voltage or amplitude of the wave, while the horizontal axis represents time.
For a perfect sine wave, the waveform starts from the baseline, reaches a peak value, returns to the baseline, goes in the opposite direction to a negative peak value, and then returns to the baseline again, completing one cycle. This process repeats itself indefinitely.
The amplitude of the sine wave determines the height of the peaks and the depth of the troughs, representing the magnitude of the voltage or signal being displayed. The frequency of the sine wave determines the number of cycles that occur per unit of time, and it is visible as the distance between consecutive peaks or troughs.
Oscilloscopes allow you to adjust the time scale and voltage scale, enabling you to observe the detailed characteristics of the sine wave, such as its frequency, amplitude, phase, and any distortions or noise present in the signal.