Worksheet 14.

1
Waves: speed, frequency and
wavelength
Practise using the equation that links the speed, frequency
and wavelength of a wave.
Notes
There are many types of wave. For each type, wave speed, frequency and
wavelength are related by this equation:
wave speed  frequency  wavelength

Questions
1 A student observes some ripples in a ripple tank. She notes that 20 waves
occupy a distance of 4.8 cm. What is their wavelength?

2 Calculate the speed of sound in air if a sound of frequency 220 Hz has a

wavelength
of 1.50 m.

3 Sound has a speed of 1500 m/s in water. Calculate the wavelength of

sound waves of frequency 480 Hz in water.

4 When ripples travel into shallower water, their wavelength decreases.

Their frequency remains constant.
a Does their speed increase, decrease or stay the same?
When light waves travel from air into glass, their speed decreases.
Their frequency remains constant.
b Does their wavelength increase, decrease or stay the same?
c How do light waves change when they travel from glass into air?

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE ® Physics

Worksheet 14.1  1
5 Red light of wavelength 6.50  10−7 m travels through air, where its speed
is 3.0  108 m/s.
a What is its frequency?
b What will its wavelength become in glass, where its speed is 2.1  108 
m/s?

6 Ultrasound waves are sometimes used to clean small items of jewellery,

which are
immersed in water and subjected to ultrasound. What is the wavelength
of ultrasound
waves of frequency 40 kHz in water? Give your answer in cm. (Speed of
ultrasound in
water  1500 m/s.)

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE ® Physics

Worksheet 14.1  2