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+--- Thread: Waves — Why Everything Oscillates (/showthread.php?tid=414)
Waves — Why Everything Oscillates - Leejohnston - 01-08-2026
## Waves — Why Everything Oscillates
### 1. The Equation
Wave speed = frequency × wavelength
v = fλ
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### 2. What Each Symbol Means
- v = wave speed
- f = frequency (how often it oscillates)
- λ = wavelength (distance between peaks)
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### 3. What the Equation Is Telling Us
Waves move by repeating patterns.
If frequency increases, wavelength must decrease to keep the same speed.
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### 4. Where It Comes From (Intuition)
A wave is just **repeating motion moving through space**.
More oscillations per second means each oscillation must be closer together.
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### 5. Worked Example
If:
- frequency = 2 Hz
- wavelength = 5 m
v = 2 × 5
= **10 m/s**
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### 6. Real-World Applications
- Sound waves
- Light and radio signals
- Ocean waves
- Earthquakes
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### 7. Common Misconceptions
- Waves move matter forward → false
- Bigger waves move faster → false
- Frequency always changes speed → false
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### Try It Yourself
If frequency doubles, what happens to wavelength?