Question

While watching ocean waves at the dock of the bay, Otis notices that 10 waves pass beneath him in 30 seconds. He also notices that the crests of successive waves exactly coincide with the posts that are 5 meters apart. What are the period, frequency, wavelength, and speed of the ocean waves?

Answer 1

The period of the ocean waves observed by Otis is 3 seconds, the frequency is 0.33 Hz, the wavelength is 5 meters, and the speed is 1.65 m/s. These values were calculated using the known observations of waves passing and their distance apart.

Step-by-step explanation:

While Otis was observing the ocean waves at the dock, he noted that 10 waves passed beneath him in a span of 30 seconds. Moreover, he observed that the crests of successive waves were 5 meters apart. To find the period, frequency, wavelength, and speed of the waves, we can use the following formulas and observations.

• The period (T) is the time taken for one wave to pass a point, which can be calculated by dividing the total time by the number of waves: T = 30 seconds / 10 waves = 3 seconds.
• The frequency (f) is the number of waves that pass a point per unit time and is the reciprocal of the period: f = 1/T = 1/3 Hz = 0.33 Hz.
• The wavelength (λ) is the distance between successive crests, which Otis measured as 5 meters.
• The speed (v) of the wave is given by the wavelength multiplied by the frequency: v = λ * f = 5 meters * 0.33 Hz = 1.65 m/s.

Therefore, the period of the ocean waves is 3 seconds, the frequency is 0.33 Hz, the wavelength is 5 meters, and the speed is 1.65 m/s.