Wave Speed (GCSE Physics)

Wave Speed

Wave Speed

Wave speed tells us how fast the wave is moving. Therefore, it also tells us how fast energy is being transferred through a substance. We can calculate the speed of different waves using the equation in the following section.

Calculating Wave Speed

Formula for Wave Speed

We can calculate speed of waves using the following formula.

Where:

  • wave speed, v, in metres per second, m/s
  • frequency, f, in hertz, Hz
  • wavelength, λ, in metres, m

Question: What is the speed of a wave with a frequency of 100 Hz and a wavelength of 2m?

  1. Write out the equation.
    For this question, we need to use the equation for wave speed.
  2. Substitute in the numbers.

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