`v = f * lambda `

Enter a value for all fields

The Velocity of a Wave calculator computes the speed of a wave based on the wavelength (λ) and the frequency (f).

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:

• (λ) This is the wavelength
• (f) This is the frequency of the wave pulses.

Wave Velocity(v):  The velocity is returned in meters per second.  However, this can be automatically converted to compatible units via the pull-down menu.

Related Calculators:

• Velocity of a wave based on wavelength and frequency
• Period and frequency of a periodic wave
• Velocity of a wave based on wavelength and period

The Math / Science

The wavelength is simply the distance that a pulse is able to travel before we the next pulse. The distance between pulses is the wavelength (λ), and the frequency of the wave pulses (f).  Therefore, the speed of the wave is the distance times the frequency,

                      v=f•λ

where:

• v = velocity of the wave
• λ = wavelength, distance between pulses
• f = frequency

References

19.4 Periodic waves by Benjamin Crowell, Light and Matter  licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.