A stretched slinky lies straight on the laboratory floor. A student gives it a single gentle push so that a train of compressions travels along the slinky.
(i) At a certain instant 12 successive compressions occupy a length of 3.0m. How many complete wavelengths are present in this portion of the slinky?
(ii) Determine the wavelength of the wave.
(iii) Immediately afterwards, the student starts a stopwatch the moment the first compression passes a fixed mark on the floor and stops it when the ninth compression passes the same mark. The recorded time is 0.40s. How many complete oscillations of the source occurred during this interval?
(iv) Using your answer to part (iii), calculate the time period of the wave.
(v) Hence compute (a) the speed of the wave along the slinky and (b) its frequency.