Question

When would the velocity of a wave traveling in a medium change?

A. Only if a property of the wave changes.
B. Only if a property of the medium changes.
C. If a property of both the wave and the medium changes.
D. Never.

Answer 1

The velocity of a wave traveling in a medium would change if a property of both the wave and the medium changes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The velocity of a wave traveling in a medium would change if a property of both the wave and the medium changes.

For example, if the tension of a string is increased, the velocity of the wave traveling on that string would also increase. Similarly, if the density of a medium is increased, the velocity of the wave traveling through that medium would decrease.

When waves pass from one medium into another, such as from air into water, they experience refraction. This results in a change of both speed and wavelength due to the new medium's properties, like density or elasticity. Additionally, at the boundary between media, the direction of propagation may be altered as well.