1. What is the speed of sound in air expressed in meters per second?
The speed of sound in air at 0C is 331 m/s, at 20C is 343 m/s.
2. What is the speed of light in air expressed in meters per second? Note: the value you will find on the Internet or in a text book will most likely be for the speed of light in vacuum. Since this is very close to the speed of light in air, it is OK to use it as an answer to this question.
Found WIKI says: The speed of light in air is about 299,705,000 m/s (reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light) Guess you can use the 3*10^8 m/s from the textbook.
3. Consider the range of sound frequencies heard by a typical human ear. a) What is the lowest frequency of audible sound? About 20Hz b) What is the highest frequency of audible sound? About 20000Hz c) Perform a calculation using your answers to the previous questions to determine the longest and shortest wavelengths of sound detected by the human ear. Write out your calculation and be sure to treat the units correctly. Given the velocity of sound in air is about 331 m/s: Longest wavelength L = v/f = 331 m/s /20 /s = 16.55 meter. Shortest wavelength L = v/f = 331 m/s / 20000 /s = 0.01655 meter.
See you use a different letter to represent wavelength, text book uses L. 4. Consider the range of wavelengths of light which can be detected by the human eye. a) What is the shortest wavelength of visible light and what is the corresponding color? Found on wiki, but it is a range for wavelength, not an absolute number. Does test book have it? Color is Violet
b) What is the longest wavelength of visible light and what is the corresponding color? Found on wiki, but it is a range for wavelength, not an absolute number. Does test book have it? Color is RED
c) Perform a calculation using your answers to the previous questions to determine the lowest and highest frequencies of visible light. Write out your calculation and be sure to treat the units correctly. Lowest frequency f = v/L = 3*10^8 m/s / 650*10^-9 m = 4.62*10^14 Hz = 462 THz Highest frequency f = v/L = 3*10^8 m/s / 400*10^-9 m = 7.5 *10^14 Hz = 750 THz
5. You can find the Carnegie Mellon radio station, WRCT, at 88.3 on your FM radio dial. This means that their radio station broadcasts radio waves at a frequency of 88.3 MHz. What is the wavelength of their radio signal? Wavelength L = v/f = 3*10^8 m/s / 88.3 *10^6 /s = 3.3975 m
6. What is the wavelength of the microwaves used in a microwave oven? Is this wavelength orders of magnitude smaller than the size of a microwave oven? Is it much bigger? (Well discuss the significance of this question soon.) about 10-12 cm. It is NOT orders of magnitude smaller or bigger than the microwave oven.