A sinusoidal wave train is moving along a string. The equation giving the displacement y of a point at coordinate x has the form where the units are SI. The wavelength is
A) 8.0 cm.
B) 15 cm.
C) 6.0 m.
D) 12 m.
E) 60 m.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The wavelength can be determined from the wave equation, which typically has the form y(x, t) = A sin(kx - ωt + φ), where k is the wave number. The wave number k is related to the wavelength λ by the equation k = 2π/λ. If the wave equation is given in a form that allows you to identify k, you can solve for λ. In this case, the correct wavelength is 12 m.

A Sinusoidal Wave Train Is Moving Along a String