Frequency of Sound and Light waves

[escalade17]

Sorry for another dumb question. Thank you in advance.

What factors effect the frequency of sound and light waves. Light waves are effected by electromagnetic energy and given by (f=E/h) right? What about sound waves?

Also, to make sure, even though ultraviolet light has much more energy infrared light and hence a proportionally greater frequency and lower wavelength, they both travel at 3*10^8 in air. All light travels at 3*10^8 in air, right?

 

[Simon Bridge]

Taken backwards
- the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant ... but, in a media, it can depend on the wavelength.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractive_index
The speed of light in air is very close to that in vacuum so we usually just pretend it's the same.

The energy carried by a photon in determined by the frequency and plancs constant ... not the energy of the light wave. You have to be careful about confusing different models - one is classical and the other quantum mechanical.

The "wave" of light is oscillations in the electro-magnetic field strength in space. The wave of sound is oscillations in the pressure of the air.

 

[escalade17]

got it. thank you.