Wave speed
The wave speed is the speed at which a wave propagates through a medium.
Effectively, if we pick any point on the wave, it’s how fast that point moves.
Notation
Section titled “Notation”We usually use the letter
Wave speed is measured in metres per second (
Calculating wave speed
Section titled “Calculating wave speed”Wave speed can be calculated using the formula:
Or, using our symbols:
Where:
is the wave speed (in metres per second, ) is the frequency of the wave (in hertz, ) is the wavelength of the wave (in metres, )
Logically, this makes sense.
If a wave has a high frequency (more waves per second) it must be moving faster. Similarly, if a wave has a long wavelength (more distance between waves), it must also be moving faster.