The Wave Equation

• What is the wave equation used to calculate the speed of a wave?

  Wave speed = frequency × wavelength
• What are the three important properties of waves?

  • Amplitude
  • Wavelength
  • Frequency
• How is amplitude defined in the context of waves?

  It is the maximum distance from the undisturbed position.
• What is the definition of wavelength?

  It is the distance between equivalent points on adjacent waves.
• How is frequency defined in wave mechanics?

  It is the count of waves per second.
• What is the unit of frequency?

  Hertz
• What is the relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength?

  Wave speed equals frequency multiplied by wavelength.
• Why is it important to learn the wave speed equation for exams?

  Because it is not given in the exam.
• How do you calculate the speed of a wave given its frequency and wavelength?

  • Use the equation: Wave speed = frequency × wavelength
  • Ensure units are consistent (e.g., frequency in Hertz, wavelength in meters)
• If a wave has a frequency of 165 Hertz and a wavelength of 2 meters, what is its speed?

  330 meters per second
• How do you convert 2 centimeters to meters for wave calculations?

  By dividing by 100, resulting in 0.02 meters.
• What is the speed of a wave with a frequency of 10,000 Hertz and a wavelength of 2 centimeters?

  200 meters per second
• How do you calculate the wavelength if the wave speed is 500 meters per second and the frequency is 200 Hertz?

  2.5 meters
• What method can be used to measure the speed of sound waves in air?

  • Two people separated by a distance
  • One person clashing cymbals
  • The other timing the sound
  • Calculate speed using distance and time
• What are the problems associated with measuring the speed of sound using the cymbals method?

  Different reaction times and short timing intervals can cause inaccuracies.
• How can you reduce errors in measuring the speed of sound waves?

  • Use multiple observers
  • Discard anomalous results
  • Calculate a mean value
  • Increase the distance between observers