Wave Speed

							Wave Speed
How Fast Do Waves Travel?

Wave Speed
 Wave speed depends on two factors.
– 1. Type of Wave – 2. Medium the wave is moving through.

Wave Speed
 Sound waves travel slower than light waves.  Light travels at 300000000 m/s.  Sound travels at 331 m/s in air. In water it travels faster.  Why?

Wave Speed
 For sound waves, the closer together the molecules of a solid medium are, the faster it moves.  The opposite is the case for gases. This is based on how fast the molecules are able to react.  Increase in gas temp causes higher speeds.

Wave Speed
 To find the speed of a wave, only two things need to be known.  Wavelength and frequency.  Wave speed = wavelength x frequency  Speed is in units of m/s  v=lf