The distance between the first and fourth crest of water is 10.9 m. A crest appears every 0.435 minutes, at a point along the wave. What is the speed (m/s) of the water waves?
To find the speed of water waves, we need to use the formula:
speed = wavelength / time period
The wavelength is the distance between two consecutive crests, and the time period is the time it takes for one complete wave to pass a given point.
In this case, the distance between the first and fourth crest is given as 10.9 m. However, we need the distance between two consecutive crests, so we need to divide this distance by 3 (since there are three intervals between the first and fourth crest).
So, the wavelength (λ) is given by:
λ = (10.9 m) / 3 = 3.63 m
Now, the time period (T) is given as 0.435 minutes. To convert it to seconds, we need to multiply it by 60:
T = (0.435 minutes) * (60 seconds/1 minute) = 26.1 seconds
Now, we can substitute the values into the formula:
speed = λ / T = 3.63 m / 26.1 s
Evaluating this expression gives us the speed of the water waves.
Let me calculate it for you.