Wave Speed, Frequency and Wavelength

Lab Brief #2

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

What you'll learn

The wave equation links them all: v = fλ. Frequency is oscillations per second in hertz, wavelength is the distance between matching points, and speed is set mainly by the medium. Change frequency in a fixed medium and wavelength changes to compensate.

Key words

frequency
The number of complete oscillations per second, in hertz.
wavelength
The distance between two matching points on adjacent waves.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

shallow tray
water
ruler
small motor or hand dipper
phone camera

Get ready

⚠️ Safety first

Keep all electrical equipment away from the water tray.
Mop spills immediately.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "frequency" and "wavelength" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Generate ripples in a tray of water at a steady rate, photograph them against a ruler to measure wavelength, and count the vibrations per second. Multiply to get wave speed and repeat at two other frequencies.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Question 1 of 2

A wave has frequency 50 Hz and wavelength 4 m. Its speed is:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

If frequency doubles in the same medium, wavelength:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

Next: Reflection, Refraction and Diffraction All lessons

🎯

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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Wave Speed, Frequency and Wavelength

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