Sinusoidal water waves are generated in a large ripple tank.The waves travel at 20 cm/s and their adjacent crests are 5.0 cm apart.The time required for each new whole cycle to be generated is:
A)100 s
B)4.0 s
C)2.0 s
D)0.5 s
E)0.25 s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The time required for each new whole cycle to be generated, also known as the period (T), can be found using the formula T = wavelength / speed. Given the wavelength is 5.0 cm (or 0.05 m) and the speed is 20 cm/s (or 0.20 m/s), T = 0.05 m / 0.20 m/s = 0.25 s.

Sinusoidal Water Waves Are Generated in a Large Ripple Tank