Question

A floating leaf oscillates up and down two complete cycles in one second as a 10-meter long water wave passes by. What is the wave's speed?

A. 2 m/s
B. 10 m/s
C. 20 m/s
D. 40 m/s
E. more than 40 m/s

Answer 1

The wave's speed is calculated using the formula for wave speed, which is the product of frequency and wavelength. With a frequency of 2 Hz and a wavelength of 10 meters, the speed of the wave is 20 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to the calculation of the wave speed in a physics context. If a leaf oscillates up and down two complete cycles in one second as a 10-meter-long water wave passes by, we need to use the formula for wave speed: Wave Speed (v) = Frequency (f) × Wavelength (λ). In this case, the frequency is 2 oscillations per second (2 Hz) since there are two complete cycles per second, and the wavelength is given as 10 meters. Therefore, the wave speed is calculated as:

v = f × λ = 2 Hz × 10 m = 20 m/s.

So, the correct answer is C. 20 m/s.