1. What is Wave Speed?

Wave speed is the distance a wave travels per unit time. For mechanical waves, it depends on the medium's properties. For electromagnetic waves, it's constant in vacuum (speed of light).

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses two fundamental wave equations:

Where:

• \( v \) — Wave speed (m/s)
• \( T \) — Tension in the string (N)
• \( \mu \) — Linear mass density (kg/m)
• \( f \) — Frequency (Hz)
• \( \lambda \) — Wavelength (m)

Explanation: The calculator automatically selects the appropriate formula based on the provided inputs.

3. Importance of Wave Speed Calculation

Details: Calculating wave speed is essential in physics, engineering, music, telecommunications, and many other fields where wave phenomena are studied.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Provide either tension and linear density (for string waves) OR frequency and wavelength (for general waves). All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Which formula should I use?
A: Use v = √(T/μ) for waves on strings under tension. Use v = fλ for general wave calculations including sound and light waves.

Q2: What are typical wave speed values?
A: Sound in air: ~343 m/s, light in vacuum: 3×10⁸ m/s, waves on guitar string: 100-500 m/s depending on tension and density.

Q3: How does tension affect wave speed?
A: Higher tension increases wave speed on strings (v ∝ √T).

Q4: How does density affect wave speed?
A: Higher linear density decreases wave speed on strings (v ∝ 1/√μ).

Q5: Can I calculate frequency or wavelength instead?
A: This calculator focuses on wave speed. Rearrange v = fλ to calculate frequency (f = v/λ) or wavelength (λ = v/f).