Waves

Which is a transverse wave that requires a medium to move?

A.
ocean wave
B.
sound wave
C.
light wave
D.
microwave

If wave ripples move across a pond from left to right, in which direction are the water molecules moving?

A.
right to left
B.
up and down
C.
left to right
D.
up and left

Which statement about electromagnetic waves is true?

A.
Electromagnetic waves require a medium to travel.
B.
Electromagnetic waves don't require a medium to travel.
C.
The particles of the medium through which electromagnetic waves travel vibrate perpendicularly to the direction of the wave.
D.
The particles of the medium through which electromagnetic waves travel vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave.

Which statement is true for particles of the medium of an earthquake P–wave?

A.
They vibrate in a direction parallel to that of the wave, forming crests and troughs.
B.
They vibrate in a direction parallel to that of the wave, forming compressions and rarefactions.
C.
They vibrate in a direction perpendicular to that of the wave, forming crests and troughs.
D.
They vibrate in a direction perpendicular to that of the wave, forming compressions and rarefactions.

Which statement best describes longitudinal waves?

A.
Particles of the wave medium move perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave.
B.
Longitudinal waves do not require a material medium for propagation.
C.
Particles of the wave medium move parallel to the direction of propagation of the wave.
D.
Particles of the wave medium move long distances from the source of the wave to carry energy.

If the frequency of a FM wave is 8.85 × 10^7 hertz, what is the period of the FM wave?

A.
2.58 × 10^–8 seconds
B.
1.13 × 10^–8 seconds
C.
1.25 × 10^–7 seconds
D.
5.82 × 10^–7 seconds

A wave oscillates 50 times per second. What is its frequency?

A.
25 hertz
B.
50 hertz
C.
5.0 × 10^2 hertz
D.
2.0 × 10^-2 hertz

If a water wave completes one cycle in 2 seconds, what is the period of the wave?

A.
0.5 seconds
B.
4 seconds
C.
2 seconds
D.
0.2 seconds

Honey bees beat their wings, making a buzzing sound at a frequency of 2.3 × 102 hertz. What is the period of a bee's wing beat?

A.
4.3 × 10-^3 seconds
B.
2.6 × 10^-3 seconds
C.
4.0 × 10^3 seconds
D.
2.6 × 10^3 seconds

The height of a wave from the equilibrium is 1 meter. Which parameter of the wave does this distance represent?

A.
period
B.
amplitude
C.
frequency
D.
phase

When would the velocity of a wave traveling in a medium change?

A.
only if a property of the wave changes
B.
only if a property of the medium changes
C.
if a property of both the wave and the medium changes
D.
never

A light wave travels at a speed of 3.0 × 10^8 meters/second. If the wavelength is 7.0 × 10^-7 meters, what is the frequency of the wave?

A.
2.5 × 10^-14 hertz
B.
4.3 × 10^14 hertz
C.
1.7 × 10^-14 hertz
D.
5.1 × 10^-14 hertz

If frequency is kept constant, how are the velocity and wavelength of a wave related?

A.
They are directly proportional to each other.
B.
They are inversely proportional to each other.
C.
They are not related.
D.
They are equal to each other.

A sound wave has a wavelength of 0.450 meters. If its speed in cold air is 330 meters/second, what is the wave's frequency?

A.
0.890 hertz
B.
100 hertz
C.
230 hertz
D.
733 hertz

A sound wave with a frequency of 300 hertz is traveling through a medium at a speed of 320 meters/second. What is its wavelength?

A.
18.8 meters
B.
0.510 meters
C.
1.07 meters
D.
20.6 meters

Two waves with amplitudes of 75 units and 74 units arrive at a point in a medium simultaneously. If the two waves are out of phase with each other, what is the resultant amplitude of the wave?

A.
74 units
B.
1 unit
C.
75 units
D.
149 units

According to Huygens's principle, what is the explanation for boundary behaviors?

A.
Each point on a wave front acts as a source of secondary waves.
B.
Each point on a wave front stops moving as it progresses.
C.
Each point on a wave front partly reflects and partly refracts the wave.
D.
Most of the points on the wave front stop progressing.

Which wave property changes when two waves interfere in the same medium?

A.
amplitude
B.
frequency
C.
wavelength
D.
velocity

Two waves with amplitudes of 105 units and 80 units arrive at a point in a medium simultaneously. If the two waves are in phase with each other, what is the resultant amplitude of the wave?

A.
25 units
B.
80 units
C.
105 units
D.
185 units

Which phenomenon occurs when a wave encounters a non–transmitting barrier?

A.
refraction of the wave with a different wave speed
B.
reflection of the wave with a different wavelength
C.
reflection of the wave with the same wave speed
D.
refraction of the wave with a different wavelength

Which pair of features best characterizes a sound wave?

A.
crests and compressions
B.
crests and troughs
C.
compressions and rarefactions
D.
rarefactions and troughs

When sound waves travel through a medium, the particles of the medium move parallel to the wave motion. Which type of wave displays this behavior?

A.
longitudinal waves
B.
transverse waves
C.
perpendicular waves
D.
electromagnetic waves

What is the speed of sound at a temperature of 56°C?

A.
316 meters/second
B.
331 meters/second
C.
365 meters/second
D.
373 meters/second

What is the frequency of a ship's whistle if the velocity of sound is 340 meters/second and the wavelength is 1.70 meters?

A.
200 hertz
B.
253 hertz
C.
340 hertz
D.
532 hertz

A sound wave has a velocity of 350 meters/second and a frequency of 430 hertz. What is its wavelength?

A.
0.01 meters
B.
0.60 meters
C.
0.81 meters
D.
0.08 meters

If the pitch of the sound coming out of a speaker increases, which statement is true about the sound wave?

A.
The wavelength increases.
B.
The wavelength decreases.
C.
The amplitude increases.
D.
The amplitude decreases.

What happens as a result of an increase in the intensity of a sound wave?

A.
The frequency of the sound wave increases.
B.
The velocity of the sound wave decreases.
C.
The energy of the sound wave increases.
D.
The amplitude of the sound decreases.

In which part of the ear is the sound wave converted into an electrical impulse?

A.
at the eardrum, between the outer and middle ear
B.
in the outer ear
C.
in the middle ear
D.
in the inner ear

Which statement is true for the relationship between transported energy and the amplitude of the sound waves?

A.
With an increase in the amplitude, the energy of the sound decreases.
B.
With an increase in the amplitude, the energy of the sound increases.
C.
With an increase in the amplitude, there is no change in the energy of the sound.
D.
With an increase in the amplitude, the energy of the sound becomes zero.

Two sound waves of equal amplitude interfere so that the compression of one wave falls on the rarefaction of the other. Which statement is true?

A.
No sound is heard.
B.
The loudness of the sound increases.
C.
There is no change in the sound.
D.
The pitch of the sound increases.

Which electromagnetic waves are invisible and have the longest wavelengths, ranging from a few inches to longer than a football field?

A.
infrared radiation
B.
ultraviolet radiation
C.
radio waves
D.
microwaves

Which sequence shows all the colors of visible light arranged from shortest to longest wavelength?

A.
red, yellow, orange, blue, green, indigo, and violet
B.
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet
C.
violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red
D.
violet, indigo, green, blue, orange, yellow, and red

Which statement is true about the electromagnetic spectrum?

A.
The visible spectrum includes radio waves, light, and gamma rays.
B.
The colors you can see have the same wavelength.
C.
It has a range of visible and invisible forms of radiation.
D.
The waves travel at the speed of 2.998×105 meters/second.

Which statement is true about the energy of electromagnetic radiation?

A.
The frequency of the emitted radiation is inversely proportional to its energy.
B.
The frequency of the emitted radiation is directly proportional to its energy.
C.
The wavelength of the emitted radiation is directly proportional to its energy.
D.
The amplitude of the emitted radiation is inversely proportional to its energy.

Which electromagnetic wave has the lowest frequencies (less than 3×109 hertz)?

A.
microwaves
B.
visible light
C.
radio waves
D.
gamma rays

Which statement about the spectrum of light that emerges from a prism is true?

A.
High-frequency colors bend more than low-frequency colors.
B.
High-frequency colors bend less than low-frequency colors.
C.
Colors of all frequencies pass through without bending.
D.
Colors of all frequencies experience the same amount of bending.

If a light wave is reflected from the surface of the medium, which property of the light wave will change with the reflected wave?

A.
amplitude
B.
wavelength
C.
frequency
D.
speed

Which phenomenon occurs when light falls on a smooth mirror?

A.
specular reflection
B.
diffusion
C.
refraction
D.
diffused refraction

When you see your image on the surface of the water in a pond, which phenomenon is at work?

A.
interference
B.
reflection
C.
refraction
D.
dispersion

What causes light rays to bend in a new medium?

A.
change in velocity
B.
change in amplitude
C.
change in frequency
D.
constructive interference