Math Skill

Calculating Wave Speed

A radio station broadcasts a radio wave with a wavelength of 3.0 meters. What is the frequency of the wave?

1. Read and Understand

   What information are you given?

   $Speed=c=3.00\times {10}^{8}m/sWavelength=3.0m$

2. Plan and Solve

   What unknown are you trying to calculate?

   

   What formula contains the given quantities and the unknown?

   $Speed=Wavelength\times Frequencyor,Frequency=\genfrac{}{}{0.1ex}{}{Speed}{Wavelength}$

   Replace each variable with its known value.

   $Frequency=\genfrac{}{}{0.1ex}{}{3.00\times {10}^{8}m/s}{3.0m}=1.0\times {10}^{8}Hz$

3. Look Back and Check

   Is your answer reasonable?

   Check that product of wavelength and frequency gives a speed of 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s.

   $Speed=3.0m\times (1.0\times {10}^{8}Hz)=3.0\times {10}^{8}m/s$