Wave Velocity Calculator

The wave velocity calculator helps you determine how fast a wave propagates through the medium. The velocity of a wave is a function of its wavelength and frequency. When you hit a metal rod with a hammer, the sound wave originates and propagates through the rod from one face to another. This sound wave is a longitudinal wave that depends on Young's modulus and the density of the material (refer, density calculator). Read on to understand how to calculate the velocity of a wave using its wavelength.

The wave velocity, which we denote as $v$, is a measure of how fast a wave travels across the medium. And longitudinal waves travel much faster as they have a longer wavelength. Wave velocity is a function of wavelength, $\lambda$, and frequency, $f$. The wave velocity formula we use to quantify it is:

Let's calculate the velocity of a wave having a frequency of 15 Hz and a wavelength of 0.5 m.

1. Enter the wave frequency, $f$.
2. Fill in the wavelength, $\lambda$.
3. The calculator will return the wavenumber (the reciprocal of wavelength) as $2$ and wave velocity, $v$ as $7.5 \text{ m/s}$.

If you like this calculator, you can find more information on wavelength in our related calculators:

• Wavelength calculator
• Wave speed calculator
• Wavenumber calculator