A wave is the propagation of disturbance that transfers energy through matter or vacuum. A wave is characterized by its wavelength, and/or frequency.
The frequency of waves is the number of waves passing past a point in unit time (second) and the period of the wave is its reciprocal. Wavelength is the distance traveled by the wave in one time period.
The speed of a wave is related to its wavelength and frequency as
v=νλ�=��
Where v is the velocity of the wave, ν
is the frequency of the wave and
λ�, its wavelength.
Example:
What is the speed of a wave that has a wavelength of 0.5 m and a frequency of 600 Hz?
Solution:
λ�= 0.5 m,
ν�= 600 Hz, v =?
v =
ν�×
λ� = 600 × 0.5 = 300 m/s
= 600 × 0.5 = 300 m/s
Question:
A wave travels with a speed v in a medium. If the wave had half the wavelength and twice the frequency, its speed would have been:
Options:
(a) v
(b) 2 v
(c) v/2
(d) 4 v
Answer: (a)
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