Wave Speed Calculator

Speed Used (m/s):

Wavelength in meters:

Frequency:

1. What is Wave Speed?

Definition: Wave speed (v) is the rate at which a wave propagates through a medium, determined by the product of its wavelength and frequency. Its SI unit is meters per second (m/s).

Purpose: It measures how quickly waves (e.g., sound, light) travel, critical in physics, engineering, and communication technologies.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses this formula:

\[ v = \lambda \cdot f \]

Where:

\( v \) is the wave speed;
\( \lambda \) is the wavelength;
\( f \) is the frequency.

Unit conversions:

Wavelength: 1 cm = 0.01 m, 1 nm = 10⁻⁹ m, 1 km = 1000 m
Frequency: 1 kHz = 10³ Hz, 1 MHz = 10⁶ Hz, 1 GHz = 10⁹ Hz
Speed: 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h = 2.23694 mph = 0.001 km/s

Explanation: Enter wavelength and frequency, select units, and the calculator computes wave speed in m/s, km/h, mph, and km/s.

3. Importance of Wave Speed

Details: Wave speed is essential for:

Determining sound travel in air (~345 m/s).
Analyzing light propagation (~3 × 10⁸ m/s in air).
Designing communication systems and wave-based technologies.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Input wavelength (m, cm, nm, km) and frequency (Hz, kHz, MHz, GHz), both positive. Results show wave speed in m/s, km/h, mph, and km/s, rounded to 3 decimal places.