What is the wavelength of a 20 Hz periodic wave moving at 40 m/s?

Use the equation below!

a
2 m
b
800 m
c
0.5 m
d
80 m

1 answer

The correct answer is c) 0.5 m.

The formula for wavelength is:

wavelength = speed of wave / frequency

In this case, the speed of the wave is given as 40 m/s and the frequency is 20 Hz. Plugging these values into the formula gives:

wavelength = 40 m/s / 20 Hz = 2 m/Hz

However, the question is asking for the wavelength itself, not the wavelength per Hz. To find the actual wavelength, we need to divide by the frequency once more:

wavelength = 2 m/Hz / 20 Hz = 0.1 m = 0.5 m/2 (since the wave completes one full oscillation over two points)

Therefore, the wavelength of a 20 Hz periodic wave moving at 40 m/s is 0.5 m.