Using math, brain waves can be described by their features. The frequency, or wavelength, shows how many times the wave repeats itself in a certain amount of time. The amplitude describes how "tall" the wave is, and the phase of the wave describes its position in the wave cycle at specific times (whether it is at the peak or the trough or somewhere in between). The waves are measured in microvolts (mV or 1/1,000,000 of a volt). A typical alpha wave is about 20–100 µV in size. The brain waves give scientists an idea of how excitable the millions of neurons are under each electrode. Previous experiments showed that certain types of brain waves are related to specific brain functions. For example, the act of seeing, called visual perception, is associated with a specific type of wave, called alpha wave.

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