A sine wave is travelling in a medium. What is the minimum distance between two particles always having the same speed is

CONCEPT:

• A sine wave or sinusoid is a mathematical curve that describes a smooth periodic oscillation.
• Wave motion is a kind of disturbance that travels through a medium due to repeated vibrations of the particles of the medium about their mean positions.
• When a wave motion passes through a medium, particles of the medium only vibrate simply harmonically about their mean position. They do leave their position and move with the disturbance.
• The velocity of wave motion through a particular medium is constant. It depends only on the nature of the medium, not on the frequency, wavelength or intensity.

EXPLANATION:

• Wavelength (λ): It is equal to the distance travelled by the wave during the time in which anyone particle of the medium completes one vibration about its mean position.
• Or distance travelled by the wave in one time period is known as wavelength.
• Or is the distance between the two successive points with the same phase.

• A sine wave has both maxima and minima. The speed at the maximum and the minimum points are the same whereas the direction of motions is different.
• A sine wave is travelling in a medium, the minimum distance between the two particles always having the same speed is λ/2.