Question

A 0.62-kg Slinky has 185 coils. When you and your friend stretch the Slinky by exerting a 4.0-N force on its ends, the separation between the adjacent coils is 5.0 cm.

Determine the speed of the transverse wave on the Slinky.

Answer 1

The speed of the transverse wave on the Slinky is approximately 4.165 cm/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the speed of the transverse wave on the Slinky, we can use the formula:

Wave speed (v) = Frequency (f) × Wavelength (λ)

In this case, we are given the separation between adjacent coils (wavelength) as 5.0 cm. The number of coils in the Slinky is given as 185. We need to calculate the frequency first:

Frequency (f) = 1 / Time (T)

Since the Slinky takes 2.4 seconds to travel the length of the Slinky and back again, the time for one round trip is 2.4 seconds. Therefore, the time for one half-trip is 1.2 seconds. Plugging it into the equation, we get:

Frequency (f) = 1 / 1.2 = 0.833 Hz

Now, we can calculate the wave speed:

Wave speed (v) = 0.833 Hz × 5.0 cm = 4.165 cm/s

Therefore, the speed of the transverse wave on the Slinky is approximately 4.165 cm/s.