A 5m long fishing boat is anchored on a windy day. The skipper notices that as one wave crest is leaving the stern another is arriving at the bow. If 15 waves are counted arriving in 10s, what is the speed of the water waves?
The wavelength is the length of the boat in this case.
The frequency is 15/10 = 3/2 waves/second
Wave speed = (wavelength)*(frequency)
To determine the speed of the water waves, you need to calculate the time it takes for a wave to travel from the stern of the boat to the bow. Since 15 waves are counted arriving in 10 seconds, we can calculate the time it takes for one wave to arrive by dividing the total time by the number of waves.
Time for one wave to arrive = Total time / Number of waves
Time for one wave to arrive = 10 sec / 15 waves
Now, we need to calculate the distance covered by one wave from the stern to the bow. Given that the length of the fishing boat is 5 meters, the distance covered by one wave is equivalent to the length of the boat.
Distance covered by one wave = Length of the fishing boat = 5 meters
Finally, to determine the speed of the water waves, we can divide the distance covered by one wave by the time it takes for one wave to arrive.
Speed of water waves = Distance covered by one wave / Time for one wave to arrive
Speed of water waves = 5 meters / (10 sec / 15 waves)
Simplifying the equation, we have:
Speed of water waves = 5 meters / (10/15)
Speed of water waves = 5 meters * (15/10)
Speed of water waves = 7.5 meters per second
Therefore, the speed of the water waves is 7.5 meters per second.