Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A wave on a stretched rope is , with and in metres and in seconds.
A wave moving towards is , with and . The wave speed is . A particle has the velocity , at most .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Wave speed. .
Step 2. The particle. Each particle moves in simple harmonic motion with and amplitude . Its largest speed is . Its largest acceleration is .
Step 3. One moment. The phase is . So . The particle is moving down.
Notice. The wave moves at . No particle ever moves faster than . The two speeds are different things.
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