Question

One end of a string is secured to a wall while a student holds the other end of the string so that the string remains taut. The student shakes the end of the string vertically up and down so that a transverse wave is created on the string as it travels toward the wall. How can the student change the experiment l, if at all, so that the wave speed of the wave increases?

Answer 1

To increase wave speed on a taut string, a student can either increase the tension in the string or use a string with lower linear mass density; the amplitude and frequency of shaking do not affect the wave speed.

Step-by-step explanation:

The wave speed on a string can be increased if the student changes certain physical parameters of the system. The wave speed on a taut string is given by the formula v = √(T/μ), where v is the wave speed, T is the tension in the string, and μ (mu) is the linear mass density (mass per unit length) of the string. To increase the wave speed, the student can:

• Increase the tension, T, in the string by pulling it more tightly.
• Use a string with a lower linear mass density, μ, by substituting the current string with one that has a smaller mass or is thinner.

It's important to note that the amplitude of the wave and the frequency of shaking do not directly affect the wave speed.