PRACTICE QUESTIONS

______________ is the physical environment through which a wave can travel.

(a) period (b) node (c) crest (d) medium

The time that it takes a complete cycle to occur is known as

(a) Standing wave (b) wavelength (c) Simple harmonic motion (d) period
_________________ is the number of cycles or vibrations per unit of time.
(a) frequency (b) amplitude (c) wavelength (d) antinode

A wave will travel only as long as it has ____________ to carry.

(a) energy (b) matter (c) wavelength (d) mass

All waves have

(a) amplitude (b) frequency (c) wavelength (d) all of these.

Wave interference can occur for

(a) Sound waves. (b) Light waves. (c) Water waves. (d) all of these.

In a longitudinal wave, the compressions and rarefactions travel in

(a) the same direction that the wave travels. (b) a direction opposite to the wave travel.
(c) neither.

Seismic waves are waves that travel through the earth. When they travel from the crust of the earth to the more dense
earth's core, their speed will (a) decrease. (b) increase. (c) remain the same.

Which of the following is not an example of approximate simple harmonic motion?

( a) a piano wire that has been struck (b) a ball bouncing on the floor
( c) a child swinging on a swing (d) a car’s radio antenna waving back and forth

Vibration of an object about an equilibrium point is called simple harmonic motion when the restoring force is
proportional to (a) mass (b) time (c) spring constant (d) displacement

Each compression on a longitudinal wave corresponds to what point on a transverse wave?

(a) crest (b) amplitude (c) wavelength (d) troughs

Each rarefaction on a longitudinal wave corresponds to what point on a transverse wave?

(a) crest ( b) amplitude (c) wavelength (d) troughs

A wave travels through a medium. As the wave passes, the particles of the medium vibrate in a direction perpendicular
to the direction of the wave's motion. The wave is
(a) Tranverse (b) Longitudinal (c) a pulse (d) electromagnetic

___________ is defined as the superposition of two or more waves in which individual displacements on the same side of the
equilibrium position and make a bigger wave.
(a) crest (b) destructive interference (c) constructive interference (d) amplitude

The amplitude of a particular wave is 1 m. The top to bottom (crest to trough) distance of the wave is
(a) 0.5 m. (b) 1 m. (c) 2 m. (d) none of these.

The distance between two consecutive troughs of a wave is called the

(a) amplitude (b) frequency (c) wave speed (d) wavelength

The distance between two consecutive crests of a wave is called the

(a) amplitude (b) frequency (c) wave speed (d) wavelength

The amplitude of the wave in the diagram below is given by letter ______.
 (a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D

Which of the following statements illustrates the concept that waves carry energy from one place to another: (a)
Ocean waves may cause boats to tip over. (b) Sunlight heats the surface of the earth.
(c) Seismic waves cause earthquake damage. (d) All of the statements illustrate the concept.

. What kind of a wave does a tuning fork create?

(a) Pulse wave (b) Periodic wave (c) Electromagnetic wave (d) resonance wave

. What kind of waves are sound waves?

(a) Mechanical waves (b) Electromagnetic waves (c) None of the above (d) All of the above

. What kind of waves are electromagnetic waves?

(a) Longitudinal waves (b) Transverse waves (c) Mechanical waves (d) seismic waves

. The distance between the crest of a water wave and the next trough is 2 m. If the frequency of a particular wave is 2
Hz, what is the speed of the wave? (a) 4 m/s (b) 1 m/s (c) 8 m/s (d) 2 m/s

What is an example of a longitudinal wave?

(a) gamma ray (b) sound wave (c) x-ray (d) water wave

. All of the waves listed below are a part of the electromagnetic spectrum except
(a) sound waves (b) X rays (c) gamma rays (d) light waves.

Electromagnetic waves (a) always travel at the same speed. (b) need a medium to travel through. (c) can travel
through a vacuum (d) cannot travel through the vacuum of outer space.

Light refracts when traveling from air into glass because light
(a) travels at the same speed in air and in glass. (b) frequency is greater in air than in glass.
(c) frequency is greater in glass than in air. (d) travels slower in glass than in air.

What is added together when two waves superimpose?

(a) amplitudes (b) wavelengths (c) velocities (d) phases

. Pure constructive interference occurs between two waves when they have the same _____.
(a) frequency and are in phase (b) frequency and are out of phase (c) amplitude and are in phase
(d) amplitude and are out of phase

Which of the following is TRUE of light and sound waves?

(a) Their velocities in air are equal (b) They both transmit energy
(c) They are both longitudinal waves (d) They are both transverse waves

The speed of any wave depends upon (a) its energy. (b) the medium through which it travels. (c) its angle of
reflection. (d) its amplitude.

Which of the following transmit energy without transmitting matter?

(a) protons (b) baseball bats (c) waves (d) electrons

The distance between the crest of a water wave and the next trough is 2 m. If the frequency of a particular wave is 2
Hz, what is the speed of the wave? (a) 4 m/s (b) 1 m/s (c) 8 m/s (d) 2 m/s
 Which of the following systems can undergo simple harmonic oscillation when slightly disturbed from their
equilibrium or rest postion,
(a) is a simple pendulum, a mass m swinging at the end of a light rigid rod of length l.
(b) is a flat disc supported by a rigid wire through its centre and oscillating through small angles in the plane of its
circumference. (c) is a mass fixed to a wall via a spring of stiffness s sliding to and fro in the x direction on a
frictionless plane. (d) All of the above

. What kind(s) of interference can occur between two identical waves moving in opposite directions?
(a) Constructive interference only (b) Destructive interference only (c) Both constructive and destructive
interference (d) Neither constructive nor destructive interference

. What term refers to the bending of light at the junction of two media?
(a) interference (b) diffraction (c) scattering (d) refraction

. When do the amplitudes of two waves get added?

(a) When their amplitudes are the same (b) When their amplitudes are different
(c) When they propagate in perpendicular directions (d) When they are propagating along the same line in opposite
directions

The resonating air column in a tube closed at one end emits its fundamental frequency when the effective length of
the tube is 55cm.calculate the frequency if the speed of sound in air is 330m/s.
(a) 150Hz (b) 300Hz (c) 6Hz (d) 600Hz

Total internal reflection will not occur when light travels from
(a) water to air (b) glass to air (c) glass to water (d) water to glass

The change of direction of a wave front due to a change in velocity is called

(a) resonance (b) refraction (c) interference (d) reflection

A body R can only set another body S into resonance if (a) R and S have equal amplitude of vibration (b)
R can set S vibrating (c) S can set R vibrating (d) the frequency of vibration of R equals the
natural frequency of S

Which of the following waves is an electromagnetic wave?

(a) sound waves (b) X rays (c) water waves (d) Echoes.

What does 0.50 represents in a wave equation Y=0.50 sin 0.7(x-50t)?

(a) acceleration (b) speed (c) amplitude (d) wavelength

The speed of a radio signal is 3x108 m/s. What is its frequency if the wavelength is 3x102m? (a)
106 Hz (b)103Hz (c) 102Hz (d)109Hz

Which of the following is TRUE of light and sound waves?

(a) Their velocities in air are equal (b) They both transmit energy
(c) They are both longitudinal waves (d) They are both transverse waves.

A quantity which varies periodically in position and time as an evidence of wave propagation is called
(a) Wavelength (b) wave speed (c) Wave function (d) Wave

A radio station broadcasts at a frequency of 200KHZ .If the speed of the wave is 3x10 8m/s. Calculate the period.
(a) 5.0x10s (b) 0.50x10-5s (c) 500x10-9s (d) 1.5x103s
Use the table below showing the radiations comprising the electromagnetic spectrum to provide answers to questions .
Gamma-rays Z Ultra violet Y Infra red X Radio waves
 Name the radiation Z
(a) Alpha rays (b) X rays (c) Visible light (d) Microwave

Name the radiation Y

(a) Alpha rays (b) X rays (c) Visible light (d) Microwave

Which radiation is the basis of GSM communication?

(a) Ultra violet (b) X rays (c) Visible light (d) Microwave

The _____________ cameras are used in photography and in military to sight enemy position at night
a) Ultra violet (b) X rays (c) Visible light (d) Infra red

Which of the following characteristics of waves is used in the measurement of ocean depth?
(a) reflection (b) refraction ( c) interference (d) diffraction

Total internal reflection will not occur when light travels from
(a) water to air (b) glass to air (c) glass to water (d)water to glass

What happens to a sound wave when it travels from air into water?
(a) Its intensity increases. (b) Its wavelength decreases. (c) Its frequency
increases. (d) Its frequency remains the same.

Which of the following is true of speed, V of sound in air at absolute temperature T?

(a) VαT (b)Vα1/T (c)VαT1/2 (d)V is not affected by T C

Which of the following color of surface will radiate heat energy bests?
(a) white (b) red (c) black (d) yellow

A source of sound produces waves in air of wavelength 1.65m, if the speed of sound in air is 330ms-1 the period of
vibration in seconds is (a) 200 (b) 2.0 (c) 0.5 (d) 0.005

. When does pure destructive interference occur?

(a) When two waves with equal frequencies that are perfectly in phase and propagating along the same line superimpose.
(b) When two waves with unequal frequencies that are perfectly in phase and propagating along the same line
superimpose.
(c) When two waves with unequal frequencies that are perfectly out of phase and propagating along the same line
superimpose.
(d) When two waves with equal frequencies that are perfectly out of phase and propagating along the same line
superimpose.

. How is sound produced by an electronic speaker?

(a) The cone of a speaker vibrates to create small changes in the temperature of the air.
(b) The cone of a speaker vibrates to create small changes in the pressure of the air.
(c) The cone of a speaker vibrates to create small changes in the volume of the air.
(d) The cone of a speaker vibrates to create small changes in the resistance of the air.

. The invisible part of the spectrum of light consist of the following colours
(a) red, orange and yellow only (b) infra-red, ultra violet and blue only
(c) indigo and green (d) ultra-violet and infra-red only

Which one of the following waves cannot travel through a vacuum

(a) sound waves (b) light waves (c) infra-red waves (d) x-radiation

. If the wavelength of a wave travelling with a velocity of 360ms-1 is 60cm, the period of the wave is
(a) 6s (b) 3.6s (c) 0.17s (d) 0.61s
 . What kind of wave is formed in organ pipes?
(a) Transverse stationary waves (b) Electromagnetic waves
(c) Mechanical waves (d) Longitudinal stationary waves

. When a wave travels from one medium to other, which of its fundamental properties will not change
(a) Temperature (b) Pressure (c) Frequency (d) Wavelength

Wave motion in a medium transfers

(a) neither mass nor energy (b) both mass and energy (c) energy, only (d) mass, only

. A wave traveling at 5.0 x 10^4 meters per second has wavelength of 2.5 x 10^1 meters. What is the frequency of the
wave? (a) 5.0 x 10^3 Hz (b) 2.0 x 10^3 Hz (c) 1.25 x 10^6 Hz (d) 5.0 x 10^-4 Hz

. A periodic wave with a frequency of 10 hertz would have a period of

(a) 100 s (b) 0.1 s (c) 10 s (d) 1 s

QUESTION 1
A. Differentiate between Mechanical and Electromagnetic waves giving two examples .
B. A wave equation of a tranverse wave is given as y=0.25 sin ⁡(0.2 πx−4 πt) , determine the following
(i) Amplitude of the wave (ii) Frequency of the wave (iii) Wavelength of the wave (iv) Veloccity of the wave (v)
Period and wave number of the wave

QUESTION 2
A. State three differences between a sound wave and a radio wave
B. Explain the following terms with the use of appropriate diagram I. Wavelength II. Amplitude
III. Crest IV. Trough

QUESTION 3
A. Differentiate between X-rays and gamma rays
B. Discuss the electromagnetic spectrum and name four practical uses (application) of electromagnetic waves