Wave Calculator
Compute v = λ·f from any two of: velocity, wavelength, frequency.
Deixe um campo vazio para calcular.
Wave equation: v = λ·f
A wave's propagation speed equals wavelength times frequency: v = λ·f, with period T = 1/f. Sound in air travels at about 343 m/s; light in vacuum at exactly c = 299,792,458 m/s (defined value). For electromagnetic waves: AM radio ~1 MHz → λ ≈ 300 m; FM 100 MHz → λ ≈ 3 m; Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz → λ ≈ 12 cm; 5G mmWave 24–100 GHz → λ in millimeters. Human audible range spans 20 Hz – 20 kHz. The classical wave equation reads ∂²u/∂t² = v²·∂²u/∂x². Waves exhibit interference (constructive/destructive), diffraction, reflection, and refraction — all consequences of the linearity of the wave equation.
Applications
Telecommunications (band choice is dictated by absorption and diffraction at each λ), music (concert A = 440 Hz → λ ≈ 78 cm in air), microwave ovens (2.45 GHz heats water via dielectric absorption), radar, sonar, MRI, and seismology (P and S waves propagate at different speeds through Earth's interior).
FAQ
Why is wavelength shorter at higher frequencies? Because v = λ·f and the speed v is fixed by the medium; higher f forces smaller λ.
Does sound travel at the same speed as light? No — light is roughly a million times faster. That's why you see lightning before hearing thunder.
What's the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves? Transverse waves oscillate perpendicular to propagation (light, waves on a string); longitudinal waves oscillate parallel (sound, P-waves in earthquakes).
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