Question

Walking along the beach, you notice that a new wave reaches the shore every 3.2 s, and you estimate the wave crests to be 2.5 m apart. What is the frequency of the waves?

1) 0.3125 Hz
2) 0.625 Hz
3) 1.25 Hz
4) 2.5 Hz

Answer 1

The frequency of the ocean waves is calculated using the period, which is the time between waves. With a period of 3.2 seconds, the frequency is 1/3.2 or 0.3125 Hz.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question concerns the calculation of the frequency of ocean waves based on information given about wave arrival time and the distance between wave crests. To find the frequency, we use the formula frequency (f) = 1 / period (T), where the period is the time it takes for one complete wave cycle to pass a given point. Since one new wave reaches the shore every 3.2 seconds, the period T is 3.2 seconds. Hence, the frequency is 1/3.2 seconds, which is approximately 0.3125 Hz. Therefore, the correct answer is option 1, which states that the frequency of the waves is 0.3125 Hz.