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2.1a Wave-Rules-Handout

This document contains information about frequency, wavelength, and velocity of waves and electromagnetic radiation. It provides examples and questions about relating these properties for sound waves, light waves, and radio waves. The questions cover topics like calculating wavelength, frequency, and velocity from different measurements.

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tangwindson
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53 views4 pages

2.1a Wave-Rules-Handout

This document contains information about frequency, wavelength, and velocity of waves and electromagnetic radiation. It provides examples and questions about relating these properties for sound waves, light waves, and radio waves. The questions cover topics like calculating wavelength, frequency, and velocity from different measurements.

Uploaded by

tangwindson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hertz (Hz) is the unit of frequency

Wave equation
Hz = number of waves per second
Wave velocity (m/s) = Frequency (Hz) x wavelength (m)

v = f x 
Questions
1. Rearrange this equation twice - make frequency the subject then wavelength the subject.

2. You are standing on the beach, next to a 100m long pier, and notice that 10 wave crests and
troughs fit into the length of the pier next to you. What is the wavelength () of the sea waves? Hint:
Don’t forget to make
3. You move to the end of the pier. Looking down, you time 20 wave crests and troughs sure you use the right
passing you in 10s. What is the frequency of the waves? units in the calculations
and answers. Remember to
4. What is the velocity of the sea waves from the information in questions 1 and 2? write the units in metres,
hertz and metres per
5. A lightning strike hits a tree. You hear the thunder 3s after the flash of lightning.
second, whichever is
You know that the tree is exactly 1000m from you. appropriate.
What is the velocity of the sound waves? (Assume that light travels instantly.)

6. On a piano middle C has a frequency of 256Hz and the C note, two octaves above middle C, has a frequency
of 1024Hz. What are the wavelengths of a) middle C, and b) C two octaves above, to the nearest cm? (Assume
that the sound travels at 340m/s).

7. The lowest pitch of sound that humans can hear has a wavelength () of 17.0m and the highest sound that
humans can hear has a wavelength of 17.0mm.
What is the frequency (f) range of human hearing? (Assume that the sound travels at 340m/s.)

8. The velocity of light (in either a vacuum or air) is 300,000,000m/s. [300 million m/s]
The Sun is 150,000,000km from Earth. How long does it take for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth?

9. All electromagnetic radiation travels at the same speed. So radio waves, microwaves and x-rays all travel at the
speed of light (300,000,000m/s).
a) How long does a radio message take to reach Earth from the dwarf planet Pluto? (Pluto is 5,900,000,000km
from Earth)
b) How far can light or radio waves travel in one day?

10. What is the wavelength of the radio waves from these stations? Radio waves travel at 300,000,000m/s.
a. Radio 1 – frequency 98.9 MHz
b. Radio 5 – frequency 909 KHz

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Worked examples
1. v=fx
a) to make f the subject divide both sides by λ
so

b) to make  the subject divide both sides by f


so

2. 10 crests fit into 100m so each wave is

3. 20 waves take 10s to pass the observer.

2 waves in 1s = a frequency of 2Hz

7. Use v = f x 
In the case of the lowest wave that can be heard  = 17m
So 340m/s = 17m x f

10. Use v = f x 
Radio 1 frequency (f) = 98,900,000Hz

Radio 5 frequency (f) = 9,090,000Hz

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Answers
1.

2.

3.

4. Velocity is speed in a given direction 2Hz x 10m = 20m/s towards the shore

5.

6.

7. 20Hz to 20,000Hz

8.

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Answers continued
9.

b). 300,000,000m/s x (60 x 60 x 24)s = 26,000,000,000,000m

[(60 x 60 x 24)s in 24 hours]

In 1 x 24 hour day, light travels approx. 26,000,000,000km [26,000 million km]

10. Radio 1 frequency (f) = 98,900,000 Hz

Radio 5 frequency (f) = 9,090,000Hz

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www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk

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