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If you dip your finger repeatedly into a surface of still water, you create waves. If you dip your finger at a lower rate,

A) The higher the frequency and the longer the wavelength.
B) The lower the frequency and the shorter the wavelength.
C) The lower the frequency and the longer the wavelength.
D) The higher the frequency and the shorter the wavelength.

User Stefket
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Dipping your finger into water at a lower rate results in waves with a lower frequency and longer wavelength, since wavelength and frequency are inversely related.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you dip your finger into a surface of still water at a lower rate, option C) The lower the frequency and the longer the wavelength, is correct. This is because wavelength and frequency are inversely related: as you decrease the frequency of dipping your finger, each wave has more time to travel before the next one is created, leading to a longer wavelength. According to the wave equation v = fλ (where v is the speed of the wave, f is the frequency, and λ is the wavelength), v remains constant in a given medium. Therefore, if the frequency f is decreased, the wavelength λ must increase to maintain the constant speed of the wave.

User Nick Meldrum
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