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Definitions (Theory)
Wave Speed (Calculations)
Multiple Choice Questions (Theory)
Simple Harmonic Motion (Calculations and Theory)
100

What are the two types of waves?

Transverse and longitudinal

100

If we take a tuning fork of 427 Hz, and knowing that the speed of sound in air is around 343 m/s, what is the wavelength of the sound produced by our tuning fork?

0.80m

100

Caruso is said to have made a crystal chandelier shatter with his voice. This is a demonstration of

  • interference.
  • resonance.
  • an echo.
  • sound refraction.
  • beats.

Resonance

100

If the frequency of a pendulum is 40Hz, what is the period?

0.025 seconds

200

What is the period, and what letter is used to represent it?

The period is the time for one complete oscillation, represented by T in formulae.

200

A skipper on a boat notices wave crests passing the anchor chain every 5 seconds. The skipper estimates the distance between crests is 15 m. What is the speed of the water waves?

3m/s

200

Which of the following is not a transverse wave?

  • sound
  • light
  • radio
  • all of these
  • none of these

Sound (longitudinal)

200

An oscillating object takes 0.10 s to complete one cycle. What is its frequency?

10 Hz

300

How would you find the amplitude and wavelength by looking at a graph?

The amplitude is the maximal displacement, and the wavelength is the distance between peaks.

300

A grunting porpoise emits sound at 53 Hz. What is the wavelength of this sound in water, where the speed of sound is 1500 m/s?

28.30m

300

To say that one wave is out of phase with another is to say that the waves are

  • of different amplitudes.
  • of different frequencies.
  • of different wavelengths.
  • out of step.
  • all of these

Out of step

300

If a pendulum has a period of 0.2 seconds, what is its frequency?

5 Hz

400

What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength?

Inverse: high frequency = small wavelength, and vice versa

400

Use the following graph to calculate the…

  • …amplitude.
  • …wavelength.
  • …wave speed, assuming the frequency is 4 Hz.

1. 4

2. 2m

3. 8m/s

400

A standing wave occurs when

  • a wave reflects upon itself.
  • the amplitude of a wave exceeds its wavelength.
  • two waves overlap.
  • the speed of the wave is zero or near zero.

A wave reflects upon itself

400

If a wave has a period of 0.5 s, calculate its frequency.

2 Hz

500
What is superposition in the context of waves? (How does this relate to amplitude?)

When two waves are superimposed, the net
amplitude is the sum of their individual amplitudes.

500

Radio waves travel at the speed of light, 300,000 km/s. What is the wavelength of a radio wave received at 100 megahertz?

3m

500

For light, a red shift indicates that the light source is moving

  • away from you.
  • toward you.
  • at right angles to you.
  • actually, all of these
  • none of these

Away from you

500

A cat can hear sound frequencies up to 70,000 Hz. Bats send and receive ultra-high-frequency squeaks up to 120,000 Hz. Which hears sound of shorter wavelengths, cats or bats?

Bats!