Enter the wave speed and the wave frequency. The wavelength calculator will evaluate and display the total length of the wave.
Table of Contents
Wavelength Formula
The following formula can be used to calculate a wavelength given the frequency and speed (velocity).
w = V / f
- Where w is the wavelength (m)
- V is the wave speed (m/s)
- f is the frequency (hz)
Wavelength Definition
A wavelength is the total distance a wave travels as it goes through one propagation. Think of a waveform and the distance of one propagation is from the start to crest to trough to the midpoint again.
Are wavelength and frequency directly or inversely proportion?
A wavelength of an oscillating object is inversely proportional to the frequency. This can be seen in the equation w= v/f. As frequency decreases, the wavelength increase, and as frequency increases, the wavelength decreases. What can also be seen from the equation is that the wavelength is directly proportional to the velocity of the wave.
Can a wavelength be negative?
A wavelength cannot be negative. Since speed and frequency cannot be negative, and these are the attributes that make up wavelength, the result is that the wavelength can also not be negative.
What are the units for wavelength?
The standard units for wavelength are meters. To derive meters from the formula for wavelength, the speed must be in m/s, and the frequency must be measured in hertz (hz = 1/s).
What properties does wavelength affect?
The wavelength can affect any related properties of a wave. These include wave speed, frequency, energy, and amplitude.
Wavelength Example
How to calculate wavelength?
- First, determine the wave speed.
Calculate the velocity of the wave. For this example, the wave speed is assume to be 20m/s.
- Next, determine the frequency.
Measure the frequency of the wave. For this example, the frequency is found to be 10hz.
- Finally, calculate the wavelength.
Using the formula above, calculate the wavelength. We find the the wavelength to be 20m/s / 10 hz = 2 meters.
FAQ
A wavelength is a total amount of distance a wave travels as it goes through one complete propagation.
