Practice Wave Speed in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

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Quick Recap

Wave speed is the distance a wave pattern travels each second through a medium.

How fast the wave's shape moves forward through whatever it's traveling in.

Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.

Example 1

easy
Sound travels in air at about what speed (to the nearest whole number)?

Example 2

easy
A wave has period 0.2 s0.2 \text{ s} and wavelength 5 m5 \text{ m}. Find its speed.

Example 3

challenge
A pulse on a rope of mass 0.4 kg0.4 \text{ kg} and length 5 m5 \text{ m} travels at 20 m/s20 \text{ m/s} under some tension. Find the tension.

Example 4

medium
Sound travels at 343 m/s in air. How long does thunder take to reach you from 1715 m away?

Example 5

medium
An electromagnetic wave has a frequency of 5×1014 Hz5 \times 10^{14} \text{ Hz}. What is its wavelength? Use c=3×108 m/sc = 3 \times 10^8 \text{ m/s}.

Example 6

medium
Does increasing the amplitude of a wave change its speed (in the same medium)?

Example 7

medium
Sound travels at 343 m/s343 \text{ m/s} in air. A whistle at 1715 Hz1715 \text{ Hz} produces sound of what wavelength?

Example 8

medium
A wave on a rope has speed 24 m/s24 \text{ m/s} and period 0.3 s0.3 \text{ s}. Find its wavelength.

Example 9

easy
A wave has frequency 20 Hz20 \text{ Hz} and wavelength 0.5 m0.5 \text{ m}. Find its speed.

Example 10

medium
A wave's frequency triples while its wavelength halves. By what factor does the wave speed change?

Example 11

medium
An earthquake P-wave reaches a station 800 km800 \text{ km} away in 100 s100 \text{ s}. Find its speed.

Example 12

easy
What are the SI units of wave speed?

Example 13

medium
Light travels at 3.0 times 10 to the 8 m/s. How far does it travel in 2 s (give in meters)?

Example 14

easy
A sound wave has a frequency of 440 Hz440 \text{ Hz} and a wavelength of 0.773 m0.773 \text{ m}. What is the speed of sound?

Example 15

challenge
A wave travels 360 m in 1.5 minutes and you count 270 complete cycles passing a point during that time. Find the speed, frequency, and wavelength.

Example 16

challenge
A wave's speed doubles when entering a new medium while its frequency is unchanged. A student claims the wavelength stays the same. Show the student is wrong and find the new wavelength factor.

Example 17

easy
Speed of light in vacuum (to 3 significant figures)?

Example 18

medium
The speed of sound in air at 20°C20°\text{C} is 343 m/s343 \text{ m/s} and in water is 1480 m/s1480 \text{ m/s}. A 500 Hz500 \text{ Hz} tone travels from air into water. Does the frequency or wavelength change? Calculate the wavelength in each medium.

Example 19

medium
You see lightning and hear thunder 6 s later. Using sound speed 343 m/s (light effectively instant), how far away was the strike?

Example 20

medium
A wave moves at 30 m/s with frequency 15 Hz. Find its wavelength.
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