Solving Homework Question: Wave Period, Frequency & Velocity

[knox_122]

Here is the Question.

You observe water waves coming to shoreon a large lake. You obseve that every five seconds, two more waves come in, and that the waves are seperatedby four meters.

a) What is the period of the waves?
b) What is the frequency of the waves?
c) What is the velocity of the waves?

Where do I start?

 

[hotvette]

As a start, you need to make sure you understand the meaning of the terms period, frequency, and velocity. Can you tell us what they mean and what their units of measurement are?

 

[quicknote]

To begin, we need to understand the basic properties of waves. A wave is a disturbance that travels through a medium, such as water, and transfers energy from one point to another. The period of a wave is the time it takes for one complete cycle to occur. In this case, we can calculate the period by dividing the time between wave arrivals (5 seconds) by the number of waves (2). This gives us a period of 2.5 seconds (5 seconds / 2 waves = 2.5 seconds).

Next, we can calculate the frequency of the waves. Frequency is the number of wave cycles that occur in one second. To find this, we can take the inverse of the period. In other words, we divide 1 by the period of 2.5 seconds, giving us a frequency of 0.4 Hz (1 / 2.5 seconds = 0.4 Hz).

Finally, we can calculate the velocity of the waves. Velocity is the speed at which the wave travels. In this case, we can use the formula velocity = frequency x wavelength, where wavelength is the distance between two consecutive wave crests. From the information given, we know that the distance between two waves is 4 meters. Therefore, the velocity of the waves is 1.6 m/s (0.4 Hz x 4 meters = 1.6 m/s).

In conclusion, the period of the waves is 2.5 seconds, the frequency is 0.4 Hz, and the velocity is 1.6 m/s. It is important to note that these values may vary depending on external factors such as wind and depth of the lake. Further observations and measurements may be needed to get a more accurate understanding of the wave properties.