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Wave Speed

555 bytes added, 16:04, 18 February 2019
Finding Wave Speed from Distance Travelled and Time Taken
{| class="wikitable"
| style="height:20px; width:300px; text-align:center;" |A scientist [[observe]]s a [[wave]] in a ripple tank. The length of the tank is 0.75m and it takes the [[wave]] 1.2 seconds to get from one end of the tank to the other. Calculate the '''wave speed''' of the [[wave]] correct to two [[Significant Figures|significant figures]].
| style="height:20px; width:300px; text-align:center;" |QuestionA surfer wants to know how fast the [[wave]]s are travelling on a windy day. The surfer observes a [[wave]] takes 15 [[second]]s to travel between two buoys. The surfer knows the distance between the buoys is 63m. Calculate the [[speed]] of the [[wave]] correct to two [[Significant Figures|significant figures]].
|-
| style="height:20px; width:300px; text-align:left;" |'''1. State the known quantities'''
 
x = 0.75m
 
t = 1.2s
| style="height:20px; width:300px; text-align:left;" |'''1. State the known quantities'''
 
x = 63m
 
t = 15s
|-
| style="height:20px; width:300px; text-align:left;" |'''2. [[Substitute (Maths)|Substitute]] the numbers into the [[equation]] and [[Solve (Maths)|solve]].'''
 
<math>v = \frac{x}{t}</math>
 
<math>v = \frac{0.75}{1.2}</math>
 
<math>v = 0.625m/s</math>
 
<math>v \approx 0.63m/s</math>
| style="height:20px; width:300px; text-align:left;" |'''2. [[Substitute (Maths)|Substitute]] the numbers into the [[equation]] and [[Solve (Maths)|solve]].'''
 
<math>v = \frac{x}{t}</math>
 
<math>v = \frac{63}{15}</math>
 
<math>v = 4.2m/s</math>
|}
====