Final answer:
The period of the wave is 1.40 seconds, the frequency is about 0.7143 Hz, and the speed of the wave is 7.0 meters per second.
Step-by-step explanation:
The period of a wave is the time it takes for one complete cycle of the wave to pass a given point, typically measured in seconds. In the scenario described, the period of the ocean wave is 1.40 seconds since this is the time between consecutive drenchings of the pelican by wave crests.
Frequency, on the other hand, is the number of complete wave cycles that pass a given point per unit of time, usually per second, and is the inverse of the period (f = 1/T). Therefore, the frequency of the wave in the scenario is approximately 0.7143 Hz (1 / 1.40).
The speed of the wave refers to how fast the wave crest is traveling, and it can be calculated by multiplying the wavelength by the frequency.
Given that the distance (wavelength) between each crest is 9.8 meters, and we've calculated the frequency to be 0.7143 Hz, the speed of the wave (v) can be found by v = wavelength × frequency, which is 7.0 meters per second (9.8 m × 0.7143 Hz).