Wavelength and Amplitude - AP Physics 1

We need to know the speed of light, which is:

We can use this to calculate the wavelength of any electromagnetic wave if we know the frequency, using the equation:

If you're unsure of how to come about this equation, you should be able to derive it by looking at your units. Use our given values to solve for the wavelength:

Since the wave has a frequency of 30Hz, we know it completes 30 cycles every second. As its velocity is , we also know that in that second, the wave has moved 10m. Dividing the total distance, 10m, by the number of cycles, 30, we get the number of meters travelled in each cycle which is the wavelength:

Speed is frequency times wavelength. So the frequency must be speed divided by wavelength. In this case:

This makes sense as in one second, the wave will have travelled 15m. Each meter is 5 cycles, so over the distance the wave has travelled in one second, it has completed cycles.

A trigonometric equation given by the following formula

Here, is given in meters, is given in Hertz, is given in seconds, and is given in meters. The period is given by:

In our case:

Radio waves travel at the speed of light . The relationship between wavelength, frequency, and wave speed is

, where is the wavelength and is the frequency.

In our case,

.

Therefore,

Amplitude refers to the strength of a wave and has no relation to its frequency. Frequency would only affect the period and phase, but not the amplitude.

We can use the following equation to solve this problem:

where

v = velocity of sound

f = frequency

= wavelength

Rearranging for wavelength, we get:

Plugging in our values, we get:

You do not need to have this equation memorized in order to solve this problem. A very useful skill in physics is being able to solve problems based solely off your units.

We need to have an answer with the units of meters. We are given units of m/s and 1/s. How can we go from these to meters? Simply divide the value with the units of m/s by the value with the units of 1/s. This gives you an answer with the units of meters. Once written out, this is the final equation written above. No need to spend extra time memorizing the equation!

We need to know the speed of light, which is:

We can use this to calculate the wavelength of any electromagnetic wave if we know the frequency, using the equation:

If you're unsure of how to come about this equation, you should be able to derive it by looking at your units. Use our given values to solve for the wavelength:

Since the wave has a frequency of 30Hz, we know it completes 30 cycles every second. As its velocity is , we also know that in that second, the wave has moved 10m. Dividing the total distance, 10m, by the number of cycles, 30, we get the number of meters travelled in each cycle which is the wavelength:

Speed is frequency times wavelength. So the frequency must be speed divided by wavelength. In this case:

This makes sense as in one second, the wave will have travelled 15m. Each meter is 5 cycles, so over the distance the wave has travelled in one second, it has completed cycles.

A trigonometric equation given by the following formula

Here, is given in meters, is given in Hertz, is given in seconds, and is given in meters. The period is given by:

In our case:

Radio waves travel at the speed of light . The relationship between wavelength, frequency, and wave speed is

, where is the wavelength and is the frequency.

In our case,

.

Therefore,

Amplitude refers to the strength of a wave and has no relation to its frequency. Frequency would only affect the period and phase, but not the amplitude.

We can use the following equation to solve this problem:

where

v = velocity of sound

f = frequency

= wavelength

Rearranging for wavelength, we get:

Plugging in our values, we get:

You do not need to have this equation memorized in order to solve this problem. A very useful skill in physics is being able to solve problems based solely off your units.

We need to have an answer with the units of meters. We are given units of m/s and 1/s. How can we go from these to meters? Simply divide the value with the units of m/s by the value with the units of 1/s. This gives you an answer with the units of meters. Once written out, this is the final equation written above. No need to spend extra time memorizing the equation!

We need to know the speed of light, which is:

We can use this to calculate the wavelength of any electromagnetic wave if we know the frequency, using the equation:

If you're unsure of how to come about this equation, you should be able to derive it by looking at your units. Use our given values to solve for the wavelength:

Since the wave has a frequency of 30Hz, we know it completes 30 cycles every second. As its velocity is , we also know that in that second, the wave has moved 10m. Dividing the total distance, 10m, by the number of cycles, 30, we get the number of meters travelled in each cycle which is the wavelength:

Speed is frequency times wavelength. So the frequency must be speed divided by wavelength. In this case:

This makes sense as in one second, the wave will have travelled 15m. Each meter is 5 cycles, so over the distance the wave has travelled in one second, it has completed cycles.

A trigonometric equation given by the following formula

Here, is given in meters, is given in Hertz, is given in seconds, and is given in meters. The period is given by:

In our case:

Radio waves travel at the speed of light . The relationship between wavelength, frequency, and wave speed is

, where is the wavelength and is the frequency.

In our case,

.

Therefore,