With the help of their science teacher, Kaden and Mariam made a machine that can move a slinky back and forth. This motion creates a fast-moving wave in the slinky. The image below is a model of a wave that is generated by the machine. The frequency of the wave modeled in the image is 4 Hz.

Question

What is the speed of the wave?
A.
24 m/s
B.
1.25 m/s
C.
0.75 m/s
D.
12 m/s

Answer 1

To calculate the speed of a wave, we can use the formula:

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

Given that the frequency of the wave is 4 Hz, we first need to determine the wavelength (λ) of the wave to find its speed.

If the wavelength were provided, you could plug in the values into the formula. However, since the wavelength is not stated in your question, I can't compute an exact speed without that information.

Let's assume a generic case. If a diagram of the wave provides you with the wavelength, plug that value into the equation.

1. For example, if the wavelength is 3 meters: \[ \text{Speed} = 4 , \text{Hz} \times 3 , \text{m} = 12 , \text{m/s} \]

2. If it were 1 meter: \[ \text{Speed} = 4 , \text{Hz} \times 1 , \text{m} = 4 , \text{m/s} \]

3. If it were 0.5 meters: \[ \text{Speed} = 4 , \text{Hz} \times 0.5 , \text{m} = 2 , \text{m/s} \]

Since none of the choices (A: 24 m/s, B: 1.25 m/s, C: 0.75 m/s, D: 12 m/s) can be evaluated without the wavelength, please provide that information.

If you have the wavelength from the image or context, check the calculations against the provided answer choices. Based on some typical wave scenarios, if the wavelength was indeed determined to be 3 m, the speed would be D (12 m/s), which is a common scenario.

Confirm the wavelength value from the image or context, and re-evaluate the speed accordingly.