For a certain transverse wave, the distance
between two successive maxima is 1.26 m and
eight maxima pass a given point along the
direction of travel every 12 s.
Calculate the wave speed.
To calculate the wave speed, we can use the formula:
Wave Speed = Wavelength × Frequency
First, we need to find the wavelength:
Given that the distance between two successive maxima is 1.26 m, this is the same as the wavelength.
Next, we need to find the frequency:
Since eight maxima pass a given point every 12 s, we can divide the total number of maxima (8) by the time (12 s) to find the frequency.
Frequency = 8 / 12 = 2/3 Hz
Now, we can calculate the wave speed by multiplying the wavelength and the frequency:
Wave Speed = 1.26 m × (2/3 Hz) = 0.84 m/s
Therefore, the wave speed is 0.84 m/s.