How do you calculate wave speed without the wavelength?

Answer 1

You can measure the wavelength without knowing the frequency. This is done by measuring the "nodes" between similar points of a single-frequency continuous wave. All you need is some simple lab equipment. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/237 [the guy measures the wavelength]

You can calculate the wavelength as follows: Wavelength times Frequency =Velocity (phase velocity in that medium) So the speed of sound in air is about 344 m/s. If the frequency is 1000 Hz, then the wavelength is 344/1000=.344 m. But in this simple relationship you can't call both wavelength and frequency unknowns. You have to have in hand one or the other. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavelength

Answer 2

Wave length in water can be computed from wave period as follows: L = g x T x T/(2 x PI()) = 1.56 T^2 This is only for deep water waves (i.e. water depth greater than wave length), otherwise the wave length at a given water depth, in shallow water, can be determined using : L = g/(2*PI) * T^2 * tanh ((2*PI*h)/L) (where h is the water depth), which can also be exprimed as L = L0 * tanh ((2*PI*h)/L), where L0 is the deep water conditions wave length.

Answer 3

Wavelength lambda and frequency f are connected by the speed c of the medium.

c can be air = 343 m/s at 20 degrees Celsius (68 dgrees Fahrenheit) or

c can be water at 0 dgrees = 1450 m/s.

c can be light waves or

c can be electromagnetic waves = 299 792 458 m/s.

The formulas are:

c = lambda x f

f = c / lambda

lambda = c / f

Answer 4

You need some information to get the wave speed. You could measure the wave speed, or simply get it from observation for certain waves. In the relation speed = wavelength x frequency, if you have two pieces of information you can calculate the third. If you don't have the result from an observation, and you don't know neither the wave speed and the wavelength, then, quite simply, you don't have enough information.

You need some information to get the wave speed. You could measure the wave speed, or simply get it from observation for certain waves. In the relation speed = wavelength x frequency, if you have two pieces of information you can calculate the third. If you don't have the result from an observation, and you don't know neither the wave speed and the wavelength, then, quite simply, you don't have enough information.

You need some information to get the wave speed. You could measure the wave speed, or simply get it from observation for certain waves. In the relation speed = wavelength x frequency, if you have two pieces of information you can calculate the third. If you don't have the result from an observation, and you don't know neither the wave speed and the wavelength, then, quite simply, you don't have enough information.

You need some information to get the wave speed. You could measure the wave speed, or simply get it from observation for certain waves. In the relation speed = wavelength x frequency, if you have two pieces of information you can calculate the third. If you don't have the result from an observation, and you don't know neither the wave speed and the wavelength, then, quite simply, you don't have enough information.

Answer 5

You can't. The wavelength alone isn't enough information to tell you the frequency.

The three quantities that all go together are the frequency, wavelength, and speed.

Their relationship is: Wave speed = (wavelength) x (frequency) Knowing any two of them, you can calculate the third one.

Answer 6

You need some information to get the wave speed. You could measure the wave speed, or simply get it from observation for certain waves. In the relation speed = wavelength x frequency, if you have two pieces of information you can calculate the third. If you don't have the result from an observation, and you don't know neither the wave speed and the wavelength, then, quite simply, you don't have enough information.

Answer 7

Wave Frequency(Hz or 1/s) = (Wave speed in cm/sec) / Wavelenght in cm.
light Speed = 29,979,245,800 cm /sec in vacuum

Answer 8

Wavelength = (wave speed) / (frequency)