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?

Question

Note:

To calculate frequency, use the equation: Frequency = Number of waves / Time (Remember, the / symbol means division)

Then, to calculate wave speed, use the equation: Wave speed (m/s) = Frequency (Hz) x Wavelength (m)

(1 point)
Responses

1 m/s
1 m/s

6 m/s
6 m/s

2 m/s
2 m/s

1.5 m/s
1.5 m/s
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Answer 1

To find the speed of the waves, we can follow the steps provided:

1. Calculate the frequency:

   • You observed 2 waves pass by in 4 seconds.
   • Frequency (f) = Number of waves / Time \[ f = \frac{2 \text{ waves}}{4 \text{ seconds}} = 0.5 \text{ Hz} \]

2. Determine the wavelength:

   • The distance between each wave crest (wavelength, λ) is given as 2 meters.

3. Calculate the wave speed:

   • Wave speed (v) = Frequency (f) x Wavelength (λ) \[ v = f \times \lambda = 0.5 \text{ Hz} \times 2 \text{ m} = 1 \text{ m/s} \]

The speed of the waves is 1 m/s.