What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength in a wave traveling at
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength in a wave traveling at a constant speed?
Directly proportional
Inversely proportional
Independent
None of the above
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength in a wave traveling at a constant speed?
Step 1: Understand that a wave has two important properties: frequency (f) and wavelength (λ).
Step 2: Frequency is how many waves pass a point in one second, measured in Hertz (Hz).
Step 3: Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive points of the wave, like from crest to crest.
Step 4: When a wave travels at a constant speed (v), the relationship between frequency and wavelength is described by the equation v = fλ.
Step 5: Rearranging the equation shows that if the speed (v) is constant, an increase in frequency (f) means the wavelength (λ) must decrease, and vice versa.
Step 6: This means frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional: as one goes up, the other goes down.
