A wave is sent through a thin rope that's tied to a thick rope when the wave traveled from thin rope to thick rope what changed?
answer: Wavelength and speed changed but frequency did not change
When a wave travels from a thin rope to a thick rope, there are a few key changes that occur. Let's break them down:
1. Wavelength: The wavelength of a wave is the distance between two corresponding points on the wave, such as two crests or two troughs. As the wave travels from a thin rope to a thick rope, the wavelength changes. This is because the wave is transitioning from a medium with one thickness to a medium with a different thickness. Typically, when a wave moves into a medium with a higher density (such as going from a thin rope to a thick rope), the wavelength becomes shorter. Conversely, when a wave moves into a medium with a lower density, the wavelength becomes longer.
2. Speed: The speed of a wave is determined by the properties of the medium it travels through. In this scenario, when the wave moves from the thin rope to the thick rope, the speed of the wave also changes. Generally, when a wave moves from a less dense medium (thin rope) to a more dense medium (thick rope), its speed decreases. This is because the denser medium causes more particles to interact with the wave as it passes through, thus slowing it down.
3. Frequency: The frequency of a wave refers to the number of complete wave cycles that pass a given point in one second. Importantly, when a wave travels from one medium to another, the frequency remains constant. This means that the number of waves per second remains the same as the wave transitions from the thin rope to the thick rope. The frequency is determined by the source of the wave, rather than the properties of the medium it travels through.
So, in summary, when a wave travels from a thin rope to a thick rope, the wavelength and speed change, but the frequency remains the same.