How do you determine frequency and speed of a wave?

Question

What formulas do you use and how do you use them. Please give an example.I hate this unit and its so confusing. Help me please, like a step by step solution solving an example.

Answer 1

V=f L

V- speed

f - frequency

L wavelength

Speed of wave propagation in a particular medium is a constant and usually depends of mediums density, temperature and so on. ( Like in speed of sound ) Let's do a problem.

Example: Determine the frequency of a 1 m electromagnetic wave.

Solution: Since we know that the speed of light is 300, 000, 000 m/s  or   3x 10^+8 m/s

f= c/L= 3x 10^+8 / 1.0 3= 3x 10^+8 Hz or 300 MHz

Answer 2

this is an electromagnetic wave right? If so, then all electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light.

To find freq, you need to know speed of light, and wavelength.

Because, v= f &

where & is supposed to look like an upside down Y, called lamda, which is the measure of wavelength.

and v is velocity of wave. (speed of light)

So, to find freq, we rearrange, to get f= v/&

Example, if a wave had a wavelength of 4m, v = 3x10^8 ms(10 to the power of 8 is 10x10x10x10x10x10x10x10) then freq would = [3x 10^8]/ 4

I think. It's been a while since I've actually tried this, as it is not used often in my class work, though it was used heaps last year.