wave speed
How fast ripples travel
Wave speed is how fast a wave travels through a medium—measured as the distance a wave crest moves per unit time.
In physics, wave speed equals frequency multiplied by wavelength.
Different waves travel at characteristic speeds: the speed of sound in air, the speed of light in a vacuum.
Wave speed depends on the medium's properties—sound travels faster through water than air.
- dispersion relationFrequency as wavenumber function
- elasticityTendency to resume original form
- hertzFrequency measurement unit
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
- tensionStretched or strained state
phase shift · permeability · viscosity · shallow water · deep water · ripple effect · electromagnetic spectrum · microwaves · frequency · compressibility · telecommunications · sonar technology · period · gamma rays · temperature · interference · amplitude · tsunami