Question

Ocean waves pass through two small openings, 22 m apart, in a breakwater. You're in a boat 85m from the breakwater and initially midway between the openings, but the water is pretty rough. You row 39 m parallel to the breakwater and, for the second time, find yourself in relatively calm water.What is the wavelength of the ocean waves?

Answer 1

22 m

Step-by-step explanation:

The wavelength of the ocean waves is 22 m.

When ocean waves pass through two small openings in a breakwater, the distance between the openings, known as the waveguide, determines the wavelength of the waves. In this case, the distance between the openings is 22 m, so the wavelength of the waves is also 22 m.

The fact that you were initially midway between the two openings, and that you rowed 39 m parallel to the breakwater before finding yourself in relatively calm water again, does not affect the wavelength of the waves. The wavelength is determined solely by the distance between the openings in the breakwater.