Waves on a string: Waves travel along a 100-m length of string which has a mass of 55 g and is held taut with a tension of 75 N. What is the speed of the waves?
A) 3700 m/s
B) 370 m/s
C) 37 m/s
D) 0.37 m/s
E) 3.7 m/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The speed of waves traveling along a string is given by the equation v = sqrt(T/μ), where T is tension and μ is linear mass density (mass per unit length).

First, we need to find μ: 
μ = m/L, where m is the mass of the string and L is the length 
μ = 55 g / 100 m = 0.55 g/m = 0.00055 kg/m

Then, we can use the equation for v: 
v = sqrt(T/μ) = sqrt(75 N / 0.00055 kg/m) = 369.9 m/s (rounded to 370 m/s)

Therefore, the best choice is B - 370 m/s.

Waves on a String: Waves Travel Along a 100-M Length