Final answer:
The inverse relationship in sound waves is between frequency and wavelength due to the constant speed of sound in a medium. The speed of sound is affected by the medium's properties and temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The inverse relationship in sound waves is found between frequency (f) and wavelength (λ). According to the basic wave equation v = fλ, where v represents the speed of sound, frequency and wavelength are inversely related: as the frequency increases, the wavelength decreases, and vice versa. This is because the speed of sound in a given medium at a fixed temperature and humidity is constant. Therefore, a higher frequency (more waves per second) will have shorter wavelengths to ensure that the product of frequency and wavelength, i.e., the speed of sound, remains unchanged.
The speed of sound varies depending on the medium it travels through due to the medium's properties such as density and elasticity. The denser the medium, generally the faster the sound can travel, though the relationship can be affected by the medium's elasticity as well. Furthermore, temperature affects the speed of sound: as temperature increases, the speed of sound in gases also increases due to the increased kinetic energy of the gas particles which facilitates faster propagation of sound waves.