Science calculator
Wave speed.
A wave's speed is its frequency times its wavelength, v = f λ. Type the two values you know — Hz and metres, or the prefixed units you prefer — and leave the one you want blank; it appears on the display. GCSE and A-level; assumptions below.
- v wave speed (m/s) · f frequency (Hz) · λ wavelength (m)
Assumptions
- One wave travelling through a single, uniform medium.
- Speed is constant in that medium — change medium and v changes, while f stays fixed and λ adjusts.
- Frequency in hertz (waves per second), wavelength in metres.
- For light in vacuum, v = c ≈ 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s.
How it works
Every second, f whole waves pass, each λ long, so the wave advances f × λ metres — its speed. Rearrange to find any one from the other two; leave that box blank. When a wave crosses into a new medium its frequency is unchanged, so a change in speed shows up as a change in wavelength.
Results use up to three significant figures by default (adjustable above), without padding the display with trailing zeroes. Mixed units are fine — enter kHz and mm if that's what you have, and the result stays consistent.
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