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The speed of a sound wave depends on its...

The speed of a sound wave depends on its wavelength `lamda`, and frequency v. Find an expression for the spped of sound.

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To find the expression for the speed of sound in terms of its wavelength (λ) and frequency (ν), we can follow these steps: ### Step 1: Understand the relationship The speed of sound (V) is related to its wavelength (λ) and frequency (ν). We can express this relationship as: \[ V = k \cdot \lambda^a \cdot \nu^b \] where \( k \) is a constant, and \( a \) and \( b \) are the powers to which wavelength and frequency are raised, respectively. ### Step 2: Write down the dimensions Next, we need to consider the dimensions of each quantity involved: - The speed of sound (V) has dimensions of length per time: \[ [V] = L^1 T^{-1} \] - The wavelength (λ) has dimensions of length: \[ [\lambda] = L^1 \] - The frequency (ν) is the reciprocal of time, so its dimensions are: \[ [\nu] = T^{-1} \] ### Step 3: Substitute dimensions into the equation Now we substitute the dimensions into our equation: \[ [V] = [k] \cdot [\lambda]^a \cdot [\nu]^b \] This translates to: \[ L^1 T^{-1} = [k] \cdot (L^1)^a \cdot (T^{-1})^b \] This simplifies to: \[ L^1 T^{-1} = [k] \cdot L^a \cdot T^{-b} \] ### Step 4: Equate dimensions To find the values of \( a \) and \( b \), we equate the dimensions on both sides: 1. For the length (L): \[ 1 = a \] 2. For the time (T): \[ -1 = -b \] This simplifies to: \[ b = 1 \] ### Step 5: Substitute values of a and b Now that we have found \( a = 1 \) and \( b = 1 \), we can substitute these values back into our original equation: \[ V = k \cdot \lambda^1 \cdot \nu^1 \] This gives us: \[ V = k \cdot \lambda \cdot \nu \] ### Step 6: Identify the constant k In the context of sound waves, the constant \( k \) is typically taken to be 1 when we are discussing the basic relationship between speed, wavelength, and frequency. Thus, we can express the speed of sound as: \[ V = \lambda \cdot \nu \] ### Final Expression The final expression for the speed of sound in terms of its wavelength and frequency is: \[ V = \lambda \cdot \nu \] ---
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