Question 1

An example of a purely longitudinal wave is a
A)sound wave.
B)light wave.
C)water wave.
D)wave in a stretched string.

Accepted Answer

Sound waves are purely longitudinal waves, where the displacement of the medium is parallel to the direction of wave propagation.

Question 2

The wavelength of the wave shown in the figure is 
A) A.
B) B.
C) C.
D) D.

Accepted Answer

D

Question 3

The greater the decibel (dB) level of a sound wave, the
A)higher its frequency is.
B)longer its wavelength is.
C)louder it is.
D)farther away its source is.

Accepted Answer

Decibel level is a measure of loudness, so the greater the dB level, the louder the sound is. Choices A, B, and D do not necessarily correlate with decibel level.

Question 4

An example of a wave that is partly longitudinal and partly transverse is a
A)sound wave.
B)light wave.
C)water wave.
D)wave in a stretched string.

Accepted Answer

A water wave is an example of a wave that is partly longitudinal and partly transverse. The motion of the water particles is mainly in a circular motion around their equilibrium position, which is a transverse motion. However, the wave also exerts a pressure variation on the water, which is longitudinal in nature. Sound waves are purely longitudinal waves, light waves are purely transverse waves, and a wave in a stretched string is purely transverse as well.

Question 5

The wavelength of a sound wave is not related to its
A)pitch.
B)frequency.
C)amplitude.
D)speed.

Accepted Answer

The wavelength of a sound wave is determined by its frequency and the speed of sound in the medium through which it travels. The amplitude of a sound wave affects its loudness, but not its wavelength. Therefore, wavelength and amplitude are not directly related.

Question 6

Ultrasound refers to sound whose
A)frequency is too high for most people to hear.
B)wavelength is too long for most people to hear.
C)intensity level is 100 dB or more.
D)frequency has undergone a Doppler shift to a higher one.

Accepted Answer

Ultrasound refers to sound waves with a frequency higher than what humans are capable of hearing, typically above 20 kHz.

Question 7

In a transverse wave, the individual particles of the medium move
A)in circles.
B)in ellipses.
C)parallel to the direction of travel.
D)perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Accepted Answer

In a transverse wave, the particles of the medium move perpendicular to the direction of the wave's propagation. This means that the particles move up and down (or side to side) as the wave passes through them, with no net displacement in the direction of travel. Examples of transverse waves include light waves, water waves, and waves on a string.

Question 8

When waves go from one place to another, they carry
A)amplitude.
B)frequency.
C)wavelength.
D)energy.

Accepted Answer

Waves transfer energy from one place to another. While amplitude, frequency, and wavelength are all properties of waves, they do not necessarily carry the wave itself from one place to another.

Question 9

The amplitude of the wave shown in the figure is 
A) A.
B) B.
C) C.
D) D.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The amplitude of the wave shown in...

Question 10

A wave of amplitude A interferes with another wave of the same kind with the same frequency whose amplitude is also
A) has an amplitude of 2A.
B) has an amplitude between 0 and A.
C) has an amplitude between A and 2A.
D) has an amplitude between 0 and 2A.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A wave of amplitude A interferes with...

Question 11

Sound waves travel fastest in
A)a vacuum.
B)gases.
C)liquids.
D)solids.

Accepted Answer

Sound waves travel fastest in solids because the molecules are tightly packed, allowing for faster transmission of the waves.

Question 12

A sound wave whose frequency is 50 Hz
A)has a relatively short wavelength.
B)has a relatively long wavelength.
C)is very soft.
D)is very loud.

Accepted Answer

The wavelength of a sound wave is inversely proportional to its frequency. Therefore, a sound wave with a lower frequency (in this case, 50 Hz) will have a longer wavelength.

Question 13

Two waves meet at a time when one has the instantaneous amplitude A and the other has the instantaneous amplitude
A) A + B.
B) A - B.
C) between A + B and A - B.
D) indeterminate.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Two waves meet at a time when...

Question 14

The higher the frequency of a wave,
A)the lower its speed.
B)the shorter its wavelength.
C)the smaller its amplitude.
D)the lower its pitch.

Accepted Answer

The frequency and wavelength of a wave are inversely proportional. This means that as frequency increases, wavelength decreases. Therefore, the shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency.

Note: The other answer choices are incorrect. The speed of a wave is determined by the medium it travels through, not its frequency. The amplitude of a wave refers to its height, and it is not necessarily affected by frequency. Pitch is a subjective perception of sound and is not directly related to frequency, although higher frequency sounds are generally perceived as having a higher pitch.

Question 15

When a sound wave goes from air into water, the quantity that remains unchanged is its
A)speed.
B)amplitude.
C)frequency.
D)wavelength.

Accepted Answer

The frequency of a sound wave does not change when it travels from one medium to another. This is because frequency is determined by the source of the wave and does not depend on the medium through which it travels. The speed, amplitude, and wavelength of the wave all change when it moves from air to water.

Question 16

The amplitude of a sound wave determines its
A)loudness.
B)pitch.
C)wavelength.
D)overtones.

Accepted Answer

The amplitude of a sound wave determines its loudness, which refers to how loud or soft a sound is perceived to be by the ear. The greater the amplitude, the louder the sound. Pitch refers to the perceived highness or lowness of a sound, which is determined by the frequency of the sound wave. Wavelength is the distance between two corresponding points on adjacent waves, and overtones are additional frequencies that combine with the fundamental frequency to create a complex sound wave.

Question 17

A 80-dB sound carries more energy than a 40-dB sound by a factor of
A)2.
B)40.
C)400.
D)10,000.

Accepted Answer

The decibel scale is logarithmic, with each 10 dB increase representing a tenfold increase in energy. Therefore, a 40 dB difference (80 dB - 40 dB) corresponds to a 10^4 = 10,000 times increase in energy.

Question 18

The bending of waves around the edge of an obstacle in their path is an example of
A)refraction.
B)reflection.
C)diffraction.
D)the Doppler effect.

Accepted Answer

The bending of waves around the edge of an obstacle is an example of diffraction. Refraction involves the change of direction of waves as they pass through a medium with varying density, reflection is the bouncing back of waves when they encounter a surface, and the Doppler effect involves the change in frequency of waves due to the relative motion between the source and observer.

Question 19

Which one of the following effects does not occur in all types of wave?
A)reflection
B)polarization
C)diffraction
D)the Doppler effect

Accepted Answer

Reflection, diffraction, and the Doppler effect all occur in all types of waves. However, polarization is a specific property of certain types of waves, such as electromagnetic waves.

Question 20

A pure musical note causes a thin wooden panel nearby to vibrate with the same frequency.This is an example of
A)an overtone.
B)diffraction.
C)interference.
D)resonance.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of resonance, where a vibrating object causes another object to vibrate at the same natural frequency. In this case, the musical note vibrating the wooden panel is causing it to resonate at the same frequency.

Quiz 7: Waves

An example of a purely longitudinal wave is a

The wavelength of the wave shown in the figure is

The greater the decibel (dB) level of a sound wave, the

An example of a wave that is partly longitudinal and partly transverse is a

The wavelength of a sound wave is not related to its

Ultrasound refers to sound whose

In a transverse wave, the individual particles of the medium move

When waves go from one place to another, they carry

The amplitude of the wave shown in the figure is

A wave of amplitude A interferes with another wave of the same kind with the same frequency whose amplitude is also

Sound waves travel fastest in

A sound wave whose frequency is 50 Hz

Two waves meet at a time when one has the instantaneous amplitude A and the other has the instantaneous amplitude

The higher the frequency of a wave,

When a sound wave goes from air into water, the quantity that remains unchanged is its

The amplitude of a sound wave determines its

A 80-dB sound carries more energy than a 40-dB sound by a factor of

The bending of waves around the edge of an obstacle in their path is an example of

Which one of the following effects does not occur in all types of wave?

A pure musical note causes a thin wooden panel nearby to vibrate with the same frequency.This is an example of