 Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-year-2-of-the-earth-sciences-geology-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2025/paper-3/8/a/solution

Since tension is a force and

λ_{0}

[c]^{2} = \frac{kg m s ^{- 2}}{kg m ^{- 1}} = m^{2} s^{- 2} .

Thus $c$ has units $m s^{- 1}$ . It is the transverse wave speed of the ideal uniform string. The wave equation on a string assumes small transverse slopes, constant positive tension, positive uniform linear mass density, and negligible damping and bending stiffness.

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