High School

We appreciate your visit to Ocean waves travel along the water surface Your boat has capsized at sea but you swim over to a buoy While waiting to be rescued. This page offers clear insights and highlights the essential aspects of the topic. Our goal is to provide a helpful and engaging learning experience. Explore the content and find the answers you need!

Ocean waves travel along the water surface. Your boat has capsized at sea, but you swim over to a buoy. While waiting to be rescued, you observe the waves. You note that the amplitude is 1 meter and the horizontal distance between adjacent troughs is 5 meters. The waves hit your buoy once every 10 seconds.

What is the speed of the waves in meters/second? (Type in a one-decimal number)

Answer :

0.5 meters per second is speed of the waves.

  • The formula for wave speed:

[tex]\text{Wave Speed} = \frac{\text{Wavelength}}{\text{Period}}[/tex]

We know the wavelength, which is the distance between two adjacent troughs. So the wavelength ([tex]\lambda[/tex]) is 5 meters.

The waves hit the buoy every 10 seconds.

This time interval is the period ([tex]T[/tex]) of the wave.

  • The period ([tex]T[/tex]) is 10 seconds:

Now, plug in the values into the wave speed formula:

[tex]\text{Wave Speed} = \frac{\text{Wavelength}}{\text{Period}} = \frac{5 \ \text{meters}}{10 \ \text{seconds}} = 0.5 \ \text{meters/second}[/tex].

Thanks for taking the time to read Ocean waves travel along the water surface Your boat has capsized at sea but you swim over to a buoy While waiting to be rescued. We hope the insights shared have been valuable and enhanced your understanding of the topic. Don�t hesitate to browse our website for more informative and engaging content!

Rewritten by : Barada