Final answer:
The maximum speed of a wave on the telephone cable is 20 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the maximum speed of a wave on a telephone cable, we need to use the equation
v = √(F/μ),
where v is the wave speed, F is the tension force, and μ is the linear mass density of the cable.
Given that the tension force is 6000 N and the linear mass density is 15 kg/m, we can substitute these values into the equation to find the wave speed:
v = √(6000 N / 15 kg/m) = √400 m/s = 20 m/s
Therefore, the maximum speed of a wave on the telephone cable is 20 m/s.