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In 6 seconds, a total of 3 waves crash onto the shore of a beach. The distance between each wave crest on the water is 8 meters. What is the wavelength, frequency, period and wave speed of this scenario?

A. Wavelength: 8 meters, Frequency: 0.5 Hz, Period: 2 seconds, Wave Speed: 4 m/s
B. Wavelength: 6 meters, Frequency: 1 Hz, Period: 1 second, Wave Speed: 6 m/s
C. Wavelength: 10 meters, Frequency: 0.5 Hz, Period: 2 seconds, Wave Speed: 5 m/s
D. Wavelength: 8 meters, Frequency: 0.5 Hz, Period: 2 seconds, Wave Speed: 4 m/s

User Book
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

In the given scenario, the wavelength is 8 meters, the frequency is 0.5 Hz, the period is 2 seconds, and the wave speed is 4 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario provided, in 6 seconds, a total of 3 waves crash onto the shore of a beach. To find the wavelength, frequency, period, and wave speed, we can use the following definitions and formulas:

  • Wavelength (λ) is the distance between two consecutive points of the same phase on the wave, such as crest to crest or trough to trough. In this case, it is given as 8 meters.
  • Frequency (f) is the number of waves that pass a point in one second. It can be calculated by dividing the number of waves by the total time in seconds.
  • Period (T) is the time taken for one complete wave cycle. It is the reciprocal of the frequency.
  • Wave speed (v) can be calculated by multiplying the wavelength by the frequency.

Now let's calculate:

  1. Frequency: f = Number of waves / Time = 3 waves / 6 seconds = 0.5 Hz
  2. Period: T = 1/f = 1 / 0.5 Hz = 2 seconds
  3. Wave speed: v = Wavelength × Frequency = 8 m × 0.5 Hz = 4 m/s

With this information, the correct answer is Option A: Wavelength: 8 meters, Frequency: 0.5 Hz, Period: 2 seconds, Wave Speed: 4 m/s.

User Harry Lime
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