Are Hz and s⁻¹ the Same for Wave Frequency?

[jnimagine]

i have a question about the frequency of a wave. I thought it was measured in Hz but sometimes in the textbook it said it's measured in
s-1 (-1 in superscript lol)
are they both the same thing?
but in one of the questions it asked to calculate the wavelength in the substance if the frequency is 1000s-1 and the speed of sound in the medium is 1230m/s
If 1000s-1 is the same thing as 1000Hz, why do i get a wrong answer?
I had to use 1000-1 (which is 0.001) to calculate this problem
So what's the difference between the two?

 

[PhanthomJay]

i have a question about the frequency of a wave. I thought it was measured in Hz but sometimes in the textbook it said it's measured in
s-1 (-1 in superscript lol)
are they both the same thing?
but in one of the questions it asked to calculate the wavelength in the substance if the frequency is 1000s-1 and the speed of sound in the medium is 1230m/s
If 1000s-1 is the same thing as 1000Hz, why do i get a wrong answer?
I had to use 1000-1 (which is 0.001) to calculate this problem
So what's the difference between the two?

A hertz is a fancy name for 'cycles per second' and has the unit of $$s^{-1}$$. So $$f = 1000Hz = 1000 cycles/sec = 1000s^{-1}$$. In your wavelength problem, you may have transposed the formula. wavelength $$\lamda = v/f =1230/1000 = .001(1230) = 1.2m$$

 

[kyle8921]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out with your question about frequency measurement of waves. You are correct that the standard unit for frequency is Hz, which stands for Hertz. Hertz is defined as one cycle per second, meaning the number of times a wave completes a full cycle in one second. This unit is commonly used to measure the frequency of sound, light, and other types of waves.

However, it is also correct that frequency can be measured in s-1, which stands for per second. This is another way of expressing cycles per second, but it is not as commonly used as Hz. Both Hz and s-1 are acceptable units for frequency, but Hz is more widely used and recognized.

In regards to your question about calculating the wavelength of a wave in a substance, the frequency and speed of the wave are both important factors. The speed of a wave is typically measured in meters per second (m/s), so in order to calculate the wavelength using the formula wavelength = speed/frequency, you need to ensure that both the speed and frequency are in the same units.

In the example you provided, the frequency is given in s-1 and the speed is given in m/s. In order to use the formula correctly, you will need to convert the frequency to Hz by multiplying it by 1/1s, which is equivalent to 1. This will give you a frequency of 1000Hz, and when you plug that into the formula along with the speed of 1230m/s, you should get a correct answer.

In summary, Hz and s-1 are both units for measuring frequency, but Hz is more commonly used. When using the formula to calculate the wavelength of a wave, it is important to ensure that both the frequency and speed are in the same units for accurate results.

I hope this helps clarify your question. Keep up the curious and scientific thinking!

Best,