Question

what does the line mean - frequency is characteristic of source and wavelength is characteristic of medium.

Answer 1

Dear student, every sound source or light source have a fixed frequency, at which it sends the sound wave or light wave, so frequency is the characteristic of a source. As in every medium the frequency of the wave will not change as it is the characteristic of source producing that wave, so the wavelength and velocity of the wave changes according to the nature of the medium, whether medium is rarer or denser. Velocity and wavelength changes to keep the frequency constant according to the relation frequency=(velocity of wave) /(wavelength of wave), so wavelength is the characteristic of medium. Regards