The Physics of Sound and Light: Wave Frequency and Velocity

If a wave travels a certain distance in a given time, and if that distance is the product of the length of one cycle (wavelength) and the number of cycles per second (frequency), then the velocity must be v = f * lambda.

If the velocity is constant in the equation v = f * lambda, and if the frequency (f) increases, then the wavelength (lambda) must decrease to maintain the same product value; therefore, the relationship is inverse.

If light travels through a vacuum without any material interference, and if the speed of light (c) is a universal constant, then the measured velocity is approximately 300,000,000 meters per second.

If frequency is the number of cycles per second, and if the period is the reciprocal of frequency (T = 1/f), then the time for one cycle is defined as the period.

If light is an electromagnetic wave, then it does not need a medium (vacuum travel) and oscillates perpendicular to its direction (transverse); if it enters a denser medium like glass, then its velocity decreases.

If the velocity is the product of frequency and wavelength, and if we multiply 500 Hz by 0.686 m, then the result is 343 m/s.

If wave speed depends on the density and elasticity of the medium, and if atoms in a solid are more tightly packed and bound than in liquids or gases, then the vibration transfers more quickly through solids.

If the energy of a photon is defined by the equation E = h * f (where h is Planck's constant), and if the frequency (f) increases, then the energy (E) must also increase proportionally.

If a wave is a disturbance that moves through a medium, and if the particles of the medium only oscillate around a fixed position, then energy is transferred while the matter remains in its general location.

If the source of the wave determines the frequency, then frequency stays constant during refraction; if the medium is denser, the velocity must decrease, and since v = f * lambda, the wavelength must also decrease.

If the source is moving toward the observer, the sound waves are compressed; if the waves are compressed into a smaller space, then the observed frequency must be higher than the source frequency.

If the visible spectrum is organized by energy, and if blue light is higher energy than red light, then it must have a higher frequency and a correspondingly shorter wavelength.

If frequency represents the number of cycles per second, and if the SI unit for "per second" (1/s) is named after Heinrich Hertz, then the unit is the Hertz (Hz).

If a wave is a displacement from equilibrium, and if we measure the maximum displacement from that center line, then that value is defined as the amplitude.

If light demonstrates interference (overlapping), diffraction (bending around corners), and polarization (directional filtering), then it is behaving as a wave; the photoelectric effect primarily demonstrates its particle nature.

If the relationship between frequency and period is f = 1/T, and if we divide 1 by 0.02, then the resulting frequency is 50 Hz.

If radio waves are at the low-energy end of the spectrum, and if low energy corresponds to low frequency, then they must possess the longest wavelengths to maintain the constant speed of light.

If the velocity of a wave on a string is determined by the square root of (tension / linear mass density), and if the tension increases while the density is constant, then the velocity must increase.

If the oscillation occurs in the same axis as the energy transfer (like a slinky being pushed and pulled), then the wave is classified as longitudinal.

If the spectrum is sorted by frequency, then Gamma is the highest; if Ultraviolet is more energetic than Infrared, then Infrared has a longer wavelength; and all light-based waves share the universal constant speed c.