Waves, Sound and Light: Wave Basics
Wave Basics: Audio Guided Solution
Problem 4:
Like all planets, the planet Venus orbits the Sun in periodic motion and simultaneously spins about its axis. Just as on Earth, the time to make one complete orbit (i.e., the period of orbit) is what defines a year. And the time to make one complete revolution about its axis (i.e., the period of rotation) is what defines a day. The period of orbit for the Earth is 365.25 days and the period of rotation is 24 hours (1.00 day). But when these same values for Venus are expressed relative to Earth, it is found that Venus has a period of orbit of 225 days and a period of rotation of 243 days. So for Venus inhabitants, a day would last longer than a year! Determine the frequency of orbit and the frequency of rotation (in Hertz) on Venus.
Audio Guided Solution
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Frequency of orbit: 5.14 x 10-8 Hz
Frequency of rotation: 4.76 x 10-8 Hz
Frequency of rotation: 4.76 x 10-8 Hz
Habits of an Effective Problem Solver
- Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
- Identify the known and unknown quantities and record in an organized manner, often times they can be recorded on the diagram itself. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity (e.g., v = 12.8 m/s, λ = 4.52 m, f = ???).
- Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
- Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
- Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.
Read About It!
Get more information on the topic of Waves at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.
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