Question

Water waves are hitting against a boat. If the frequency of water waves is reduced to one-third of the original frequency, what happens to the energy transferred to the boat?
A.
The energy transferred to the boat is reduced to one-third of the original energy.
B.
The energy transferred to the boat is increased to four times the original energy.
C.
The energy transferred to the boat is increased to nine times the original energy.
D.
The energy transferred to the boat is reduced to one-half of the original energy.
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Answer 1

A.

If each wave carries the same amount of energy, the energy transferred per second (power) is just the number of waves hitting the boat per second, i.e. the frequency. Reducing the frequency to one‑third therefore reduces the energy transfer rate to one‑third (assuming the wave amplitude/shape and energy per wave stay the same).