A 3m slinky rests on a table with a student holding each end. The students laterally shake the ends of the slinky to generate transverse waves. The student on the left shakes the slinky at 4Hz with a 5cm amplitude and the student on the right shakes it at 3Hz with a 7cm amplitude.

Question

A  3m  slinky rests on a table with a student holding each end.  The students laterally shake the ends of the slinky to generate transverse waves.  The student on the left shakes the slinky at  4Hz  with a  5cm  amplitude and the student on the right shakes it at  3Hz  with a  7cm  amplitude.

The question asks what student's wave travels the fastest?
A. Left
B. Right
C. Same(correct)
D. More information is needed

My question is how can the two travel at the same speed? We do not know wavelength

Judy · Accepted Answer

C. Because the waves are traveling through the same medium.

Damon · Answer

Do the waves generated on the left side of a piano keyboard travel at a different speed through the air than those on the right side?
v = wavelength / period
If you cut the wavelength in half, the frequency doubles and the period (1/f) is cut in half. The speed ratio = 1/2 / 1/2 = 1