Properties of waves - OCR GatewayThe wave speed equation

The velocity, or speed, of a wave can be calculated using the equation:

wave speed = frequency × wavelength

This is when:

• wave speed is measured in metres per second (m/s)
• frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz)
• wavelength is measured in metres (m)

Example

What is the velocity, or speed, of a wave that has a frequency of 50 Hz and a wavelength of 6 m?

wave speed = frequency × wavelength

wave speed = 50 × 6

wave speed = 300 m/s