Physics

Physics

Problem

A wave pulse travels along a spring such that its wavelength is 5.0 cm5.0\,\text{cm} and its frequency is 2.5 kHz2.5\,\text{kHz}. What is the speed of the wave? a) 1.25×103 m s−11.25\times10^{3}\,\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1} b) 5.0×101 m s−15.0\times10^{1}\,\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1} c) 1.25×102 m s−11.25\times10^{2}\,\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1} d) 1.25×104 m s−11.25\times10^{4}\,\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1}
Intuitive explanation

The speed of a wave is fundamentally the product of how often it oscillates (frequency) and how far one complete oscillation spans (wavelength). Think of it this way: if the wave completes 2,500 cycles every second, and each cycle stretches 5 cm along the spring, you can calculate how much distance the pattern covers per unit time. Just multiply frequency and wavelength together, being careful with unit conversions.

Intuitive explanation

The speed of a wave is fundamentally the product of how often it oscillates (frequency) and how far one complete oscillation spans (wavelength). Think of it this way: if the wave completes 2,500 cycles every second, and each cycle stretches 5 cm along the spring, you can calculate how much distance the pattern covers per unit time. Just multiply frequency and wavelength together, being careful with unit conversions.

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