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

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 2

so what’s the answer

Answer 3

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