what variables affect wave speed?
482790
The medium through which the wave is passing controls the speed.\n\nI know that Amplitued, Frequency, and Wavelength do not have any effect on the speed.\n\nFrequency/Wavenlength/Speed are linked though - speed is always equal to the freqency times the wavelength.
786619
The speed doesn't change.  Wavelength is speed/frequency, so if the frequency doubles and the speed stays the same, the wavelength is cut in half.
805652
My reference indicates that the speed of sound decreases in a denser substance, rather than increases.  This would be consistent with an increase in velocity in warmer air, because air decreases in density with heat, just as you indicated.
229632
The speed of light pertains to E&M waves... You can have a wave on a rope for example... it will not be travelling at the speed of light.  To generalize, just state it as 'velocity'\n\nwavelength = velocity/frequency\n\nfor units in this case, x millimeters = (y millimeters/second)/(z cycles/second)
800734
Speed of waves = wavelength X frequency of waves.
916041
The energy contained is indeed a function of it's frequency and Einstein actually won a Nobel for his work on the photoelectric effect which is  a result of that relationship. The lower the frequency, the longer the wavelength, the lower the energy in the wave. There is no relationship between the speed of light and it's energy content. The speed is determined by two electromagnetic physical constants. Similarly, the speed of sound doesn't depend of the frequency of the sound wave.
164646
You mean a 'frequency of 5.10^12Hz'\n\nCan you work it out yourself?:\n\nRemember that the speed (v) of the wave is 3×10^8 m/s,\nand that the wavelength is given by v/f\n\n[Edit: Darn, Kirchwey - don't do Glow's homework for her! ;-) ]
1116284
I'm not 100% sure but I think your idea is correct. Longitudinal sound waves in the metal, which travel at a different and faster speed than the visible wave, reflect off the pulse or kink (because there's a discontinuity in sound speed at that point). Because the pulse is moving away, the reflected wave has a lowered frequency each time it's reflected - that's expected behavior.\n\nAn equivalent way of saying the same thing (although it seems different) is that the fundamental wavelength of the standing wave based on the length of the tape between the two endpoints: the top of the tape and the pulse, is continuously lengthening or shrinking causing the pitch to go down or up continuously like the pitch of a guitar string when the hand slides along the fingerboard.\n\nThis can't be a case of a Doppler shift caused by a moving sound source - because in that situation, the pitch would be lowered (for a source travelling directly away) but not continuously decreasing.\n\nWith respect to the other question:\n\nIt's quite certain that there can't be any difference in speed between a wave moving up or down (at a given point on the tape). The only possible effect of gravity is as explained by Epidavros, to gradually increase the wave speed at higher levels - *if* it so happens that total weight of the tape (e.g. when it's rolled up) is comparable to the spring tension.
277032
I assume you are talking about any wave equation, not just a QM probability density function.\n\nIn any case, what do you mean that you have a "different x for every instant t"?  That is not the case.  I suspect you are thinking of travelling along with the crest or trough of a wave.  As t changes, the location of the crest and trough changes, but that is not the only location on the wave.\n\nWhat the wave equation specifies is the magnitude of the wave at *any* location x, at any time t.  So, if you are at a constant location x', the magnitude of the wave will vary periodically in time at that location. If you were a cork on the water, you would bob up and down at your location as the waves passed you. But similarly, if we were to somehow freeze time, and travel up and down our x axis, the magnitude of the wave would vary periodically in space as well.  So now, rather than a cork bobbing on the water, imagine you're on a jet ski that is going across the water so fast, compared to the speed of the waves, that it's almost like the waves aren't moving.  Yet you bob up and down as you cross the waves that lie in your path in space.\n\nHence, the wave varies both in x and t, independently.
48877
The speed of propagation of sound in dry air at a temperature of 0° C (32° F) is 331.6 m/sec (1,088 ft/sec). If the temperature is increased, the speed of sound increases; thus, at 20° C (68° F), the velocity of sound is 344 m/sec (1,129 ft/sec). Changes in pressure at constant density have virtually no effect on the speed of sound. The velocity of sound in many other gases depends only on their density. If the molecules are heavy, they move less readily, and sound progresses through such a medium more slowly. Thus, sound travels slightly faster in moist air than in dry air, because moist air contains a greater number of lighter molecules. The velocity of sound in most gases depends also on one other factor, the specific heat, which affects the propagation of sound waves\nThe speed of sound in water, for example, is slightly less than 1,525 m/sec (5,000 ft/sec) at ordinary temperatures but increases greatly with an increase in temperature. The speed of sound in copper is about 3,353 m/sec (11,000 ft/sec) at ordinary temperatures and decreases as the temperature is increased (owing to decreasing elasticity); in steel, which is more elastic, sound moves at a speed of about 4,877 m/sec (about 16,000 ft/sec). Sound is propagated very efficiently in steel.
858223
weight (second order effects), roughness, types of materials, speed (second order effects), moisture content (humidity. affects materials such as wood), temperature (ie hot rubber sticks). if the object is moving fast, then aerodynamics can actually effect it by forcing air into the area of contact for example (eg hydroplaning on wet road where water gets between rubber and the road).
913325
If we assume SHM, then\n\n(a) for a given amplitude A, the max velocity and max acceleration is greater for higher frequency sounds, because SHM is given by the following equations:\n\ny(t) = Asin(2πft + γ) where γ is a phase factor\nv(t) = dy/dt = 2πfAcos(2πft + γ)\na(t) = dv/dt = -(2πf)²Asin(2πft + γ)\n\n(b) For A = 1.0 x 10^-8 m and f = 20.0 Hz\n\nv(max) = 2πfA = 1.26 x 10^-6 m/s\na(max) = -(2πf)²A = - 1.58 x 10^-4 m/s^2
193990
temperature affects the frequency..\n\nPV = MRT\nP: pressure\nV: volume\nM: mass\nR: rate of mole\nT: temperature
614422
Depends what information you already have. The simplest one I can think of is:\n\nVelocity = Acceleration x Time\n\n-Therefore-\n\nAcceleration = Velocity / Time\n\nBut you might have other variables involved here.
10186
Depends on the media in which it propagates. The temperature and the pressure also slightly affect the speed. In air it's about 330 m/s.
437661
This requires the use of doppler shift formula for a moving source and stationary observer:\n\nf = f0 ( v / ( v + u ) )\n\nf0 = actual frequency = 5\nv = speed of wave = 20\nu = relative velocity of source away from observer = -10\n(since travelling toward)\n\nf = observed frequency = 10 Hz\n\nNow velocity = v = fl = frequency * wavelength\n\nso wavlength l = v / f = 20 / 10 = 2m
466291
The speed of sound varies depending on the material it is travelling through, the pressure, altitude and temperature.\n\nOn the assumption you're talking about air and that you're at sea level under normal atmospheric conditions then 340m/s would be the speed at 14 degrees C and 330m/s would be the speed at minus 1 degree C - so they're both right.