Sound Waves Traveling Down a String

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the time it takes for a wave to travel along a string used for communication between two cans. The string is 9.5 meters long, has a mass of 55 grams, and is under a tension of 6 Newtons. The user initially converted units incorrectly, leading to an incorrect calculation of the mass per length. The correct approach involves using the formula v = √(F/M) to find wave speed and then t = d/v to determine travel time. The importance of maintaining consistent units throughout the calculations is emphasized for accuracy.
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Homework Statement



A brother and sister try to communicate with a string tied between two tin cans. If the string is 9.5m long, has a mass of 55g and is pulled taut with tension 6N, how much time does it take for a wave to travel from one end of the string to the other?

Homework Equations



v=√(F/M)
M=mass/length
t=d/v

The Attempt at a Solution



First, I converted 9.5m to 950cm and 55g to .055kg
I used these to find M=.055/950
M=5.7* 10^-5
I used F=6N and divided that by M, then took the square root and i got
v=321.96
then I divided 950 by 321.96 in order to get the time, and got
t=2.95 but this is incorrect.
 
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eagles12 said:
First, I converted 9.5m to 950cm
Why? Meters is the units you want.
 

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