Wave Speed Formula Physics | Formula for Wave Speed with Examples
A wave is the propagation of disturbance that transfers energy through matter or vacuum. A wave is characterized by its wavelength, and/or frequency.
The frequency of waves is the number of waves passing past a point in unit time (second) and the period of the wave is its reciprocal. Wavelength is the distance traveled by the wave in one time period.
The speed of a wave is related to its wavelength and frequency as
\[v = \nu \,\lambda \]
Where v is the velocity of the wave, ν
is the frequency of the wave and
\[\lambda \], its wavelength.
Example:
What is the speed of a wave that has a wavelength of 0.5 m and a frequency of 600 Hz?
Solution:
\[\lambda \]= 0.5 m, \[\nu \]= 600 Hz, v =?
v = \[\nu \]×\[\lambda \] = 600 × 0.5 = 300 m/s
= 600 × 0.5 = 300 m/s
Question:
A wave travels with a speed v in a medium. If the wave had half the wavelength and twice the frequency, its speed would have been:
Options:
(a) v
(b) 2 v
(c) v/2
(d) 4 v
Answer: (a)
Wave Speed Definition
Consider a ribbon tied to a rope that is flicked up and down. Consider how a waveform in the rope while the ribbon remains in its original place, moving up and down alone. Consider a stone thrown into a tranquil lake. As soon as the stone reaches the water's surface, it causes concentric ripples. If there is a leaf on the surface, it will just bob up and down and then return to its original place once the ripple has passed. What is the path of a wave? What is the best way to describe the motion of a wave? In this session, you'll learn more about the meaning of wave speed and how to calculate it.
What Exactly is a Wave?
In a moving medium, a wave is a type of disturbance. Ocean waves flow across a medium, and we can witness their movement from one place to the next. The motion of an object can be described in terms of speed, which describes the item's velocity.
When a source vibrates and disrupts a particle in the medium, this wave is visible. It can also be seen in the case of tuning forks or water ripples when a body is dropped, for example.
A wave may come to a halt when it reaches the end of a medium. A wave that starts from one point can travel through a medium to reach another point (endpoint). The reflection of waves at the end of a medium is a common occurrence.
The person's hand will reflect the wave. When a wave reflects, it remains within the medium and simply reverses its travel direction.
The frequency of a wave is the number of waves that move in one second. In addition, the period is calculated as the reciprocal of the wave frequency. The wavelength of a wave can be defined as the distance between two points that correspond to any two consecutive waves.
If the crest of an ocean wave moves 20 meters in 10 seconds, the wave's speed is 2.0 meters per second. Also, if the crest of an ocean wave moves 25 meters in 10 seconds, the wave's speed is 2.5 meters per second.
FAQs on Wave Speed Formula
1. How can I define a wave?
You can define a wave as a disturbance that moves via any medium. For instance, when water waves move across the water bodies, they are visible to us and we can see the movement of these waves from one place to another. All the waves are created from a source that vibrates and sometimes causes a disturbance. If you throw a stone in a river, the stone causes a disturbance on the surface of the water and this disturbance creates waves or ripples in the water.
2. What is the formula of wave speed and how can I find it?
Wave speed can be described as the speed at which a wave travels and this speed depends on the wavelength and frequency of that particular wave. The formula with the help of which you can calculate the speed of a wave is \[v = f \times \lambda\]. In this equation, 'v' is defined as the velocity or speed at which the wave travels, 'f' is defined as the frequency of that wave, and '\[\lambda \]' is defined as the wavelength of that particular wave.
3. What are the variables that affect the wave speed?
The speed of a wave depends on four factors and these four factors are frequency, wavelength, temperature, and medium. Speed of wave depends directly on frequency and wavelength which means when these two factors are increased, speed of wave also increases, and when they decrease, wave speed also decreases. Wave speed is also directly proportional to the temperature and remains constant when the medium is the same.
4. How can I understand the formula that is given for wave speed?
To understand the formula of the speed of a wave, you first need to know about frequency, wavelength, and speed/velocity. You must also know about the definition of a wave. If you have already studied these three Physical quantities and definitions of a wave, you will easily be able to understand the formula of speed wave. It is a basic formula and doesn't require advanced calculations, you just need a variety of simple arithmetical operations.
5. Who should study the topic of 'Wave Speed Formula'?
If you are a student who loves studying Physics or who wants to pursue his/her career in Physics, then you must have a thorough understanding of all the elementary concepts including the concept of wave and its speed. To study the Wave Speed Formula, you can refer to the above article as all the information related to this topic has been provided there.