Question

You are at a pool party and notice that 2 waves pass by a floating ball in 4 seconds. If the distance between each wave crest is 2 meters, what is the speed of the waves?

Answer 1

so what’s the answer

Answer 2

To find the speed of the waves, we can use the formula for wave speed, which is given by:

\[
\text{Wave Speed} = \text{Wavelength} \times \text{Frequency}
\]

First, we need to determine the wavelength and the frequency of the waves.

1. **Wavelength (\(\lambda\))**: This is the distance between successive wave crests. From the problem, we are given that the distance between each wave crest is 2 meters:

\[
\lambda = 2 \, \text{meters}
\]

2. **Frequency (f)**: The frequency of the waves can be determined by how many waves pass by in a certain amount of time. We know that 2 waves pass by in 4 seconds, so the frequency can be calculated as:

\[
f = \frac{\text{Number of waves}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{2 \, \text{waves}}{4 \, \text{seconds}} = 0.5 \, \text{Hz}
\]

Now we can calculate the wave speed:

\[
v = \lambda \times f = 2 \, \text{meters} \times 0.5 \, \text{Hz} = 1 \, \text{meter/second}
\]

Thus, the speed of the waves is:

\[
\boxed{1 \, \text{m/s}}
\]

Answer 3

The speed of the waves is \( \boxed{1 \, \text{m/s}} \).