3. What happens to the speed of ocean waves as they come close to shore? How can this be explained from what you've learned so far?
(this the teacher means what do the lessons have to do with this question)
4. Sound travels faster through wood than through air. Sound also travels faster through helium than through air. Using the concepts of density and rigidity, explain these observations.
Please help?!?! I only need to figure out these 2 to finish the assignment! Thank you!!
Sure! I can help you with both questions.
3. The speed of ocean waves changes as they approach the shore due to the phenomenon called wave shoaling. According to the lessons you have learned so far, the speed of a wave is determined by its wavelength and frequency.
As a wave comes closer to the shore, the depth of the water decreases. This reduction in depth causes the wave to interact with the ocean floor, leading to changes in its behavior. The wavelength of the wave decreases, while the wave height increases.
Now, based on the formula for wave speed (v = λf, where v is the speed, λ is the wavelength, and f is the frequency), we can see that if the wavelength decreases and the frequency remains constant, the wave speed will decrease. This means that as the ocean waves come close to the shore, their speed decreases.
4. Sound travels faster through wood and helium compared to air because of differences in density and rigidity.
When sound waves travel through a medium, the particles of that medium vibrate and transfer the energy of the sound wave. In denser and more rigid mediums, like wood and helium, the particles are closer together and are tightly bound, allowing them to transmit the vibrations more effectively.
In the case of wood, its high density and rigidity result in faster sound transmission. The closely packed molecules allow sound waves to propagate quickly since they can easily transfer the vibrations from one molecule to another.
Similarly, helium has a much lower density compared to air. The lighter molecules in helium allow for faster transmission of sound waves because they are more easily displaced, enabling the vibrations to propagate more rapidly through the medium.
So, the concepts of density and rigidity help explain why sound travels faster through wood and helium compared to air.
I hope this helps you finish your assignment! If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.