2 Waves

The disturbance travels with a velocity v. The time for one complete cycle



is T. Thus, since:





fv T

v

t

d v

 



then and since one complete wavelength passes a given point in a time T

and

Observation

T f

1since





It takes time for the motion of one atom or molecule to affect the next atom or molecule. This means that the original disturbance in the medium takes

The velocity of a wave is the speed of the disturbance as it passes through the medium – not the velocity of the particles within the medium.