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You dip your finger repeatedly into a puddle of water and make waves. What happens to the wavelength if you dip your finger more frequently?

a. The wavelength decreases
b. The wavelength increases
c. The wavelength remains the same
d. The wavelength becomes unpredictable

User SargeATM
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Increasing the frequency of waves by dipping your finger more frequently into a puddle results in a decrease in wavelength due to the inverse relationship between frequency and wavelength in wave equations.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you dip your finger more frequently into a puddle of water, you are effectively increasing the frequency of the waves you produce. In accordance with the wave equations, as the frequency of the waves increases, the wavelength must decrease, as the two are inversely related. This means that the answer to the question is that the wavelength decreases when you dip your finger more frequently.

Relevant Equations

The equation that relates the speed (v), frequency (f), and wavelength (λ) of a wave is:

Speed (v) = Frequency (f) × Wavelength (λ)

Since the speed of the wave in the puddle remains constant, increasing the frequency would result in a shorter wavelength.

User Jarmal
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