Chapter 19: Problem 2

Question: By rocking a boat, a child produces surface waves on a previously quiet lake. It is observed that the boat performs 12 oscillations in , and also that a wave crest reaches shore away in . Find

1. The frequency of the waves.
2. The speed of the waves.
3. The wavelength of the waves.

Solution:

If there are 12 oscillations in , then the period of the wave is , and therefore the frequency of the wave is . The wave travels away in , and so its speed is . Using the relation that , where is the wavelength of the wave, we have that .