Question

Scouts at a camp shake the rope bridge they have just crossed and observe the wave crests to be 8.00 m apart. If they shake the bridge twice per second, what is the propagation speed of the waves?

a) 16 m/s
b) 8 m/s
c) 4 m/s
d) 2 m/s

Answer 1

The propagation speed of the waves is 16 m/s when the distance between wave crests is 8.00 m and the bridge is shaken twice per second.

Step-by-step explanation:

The propagation speed of the waves can be calculated using the formula:
Speed = Wavelength × Frequency

In this case, the distance between wave crests is given as 8.00 m. Since each wave is produced by shaking the bridge twice per second, the frequency of the waves is 2 Hz.

Substituting these values into the formula:
Speed = 8.00 m × 2 Hz = 16 m/s

Therefore, the propagation speed of the waves is 16 m/s.