Wave Motion - Mission WM2 Detailed Help


A wave which is traveling fast can be said to have a high ____.


 
To be successful at this question, you must know the definition of the various wave quantities: frequency, period, speed, wavelength, and amplitude. A wave involves the repeated and periodic vibration of a medium. As each particle of the medium undergoes its up and down (or back and forth) vibration, the familiar wavelike pattern is established in the medium. This question is describing how fast a wave is moving. The question is clearly not describing any quantity pertaining to length or distance, which rules out amplitude and wavelength as possible choices. The question simply states that a wave is traveling fast. You must determine what wave quantity is used to describe the fastness or slowness of a wave.


 
Definition of Wave Speed:
The wave speed refers to the distance traveled by a point on the wave pattern per unit of time. It is often measured in units such as meters/second and describes how fast the wave is moving through the medium.