Waves

Question 1

What is a wave?

Answer 1

A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without transferring matter.

Question 2

True or False: Waves can travel through a vacuum.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Fill in the blank: The distance between two consecutive crests of a wave is called the ______.

Answer 3

wavelength

Question 4

What is the formula for calculating wave speed?

Answer 4

Wave speed = frequency × wavelength

Question 5

What is the unit of frequency?

Answer 5

Hertz (Hz)

Question 6

True or False: Sound waves are an example of longitudinal waves.

Answer 6

True

Question 7

What is the frequency of a wave if its wavelength is 2 meters and its speed is 10 m/s?

Answer 7

5 Hz

Question 8

What type of wave oscillates perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer?

Answer 8

Transverse wave

Question 9

Fill in the blank: The amplitude of a wave is the maximum ______ from the rest position.

Answer 9

displacement

Question 10

What phenomenon occurs when waves bend around obstacles?

Answer 10

Diffraction

Question 11

What is the term for the frequency at which a system naturally oscillates?

Answer 11

Natural frequency

Question 12

True or False: In a longitudinal wave, the particles of the medium move parallel to the direction of the wave.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

What are the two main types of mechanical waves?

Answer 13

Transverse waves and longitudinal waves

Question 14

What is the relationship between frequency and period?

Answer 14

Frequency is the reciprocal of the period (frequency = 1/period).

Question 15

What is the effect of increasing amplitude on a wave?

Answer 15

Increasing amplitude increases the energy of the wave.

Question 16

Fill in the blank: The ______ of a wave is the time taken for one complete cycle to pass a given point.

Answer 16

period

Question 17

What happens to the wavelength of a wave if the frequency increases while the wave speed remains constant?

Answer 17

The wavelength decreases.

Question 18

What is refraction?

Answer 18

Refraction is the bending of waves as they pass from one medium to another due to a change in speed.

Question 19

True or False: Waves can interfere with each other.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

What is constructive interference?

Answer 20

Constructive interference occurs when two waves combine to produce a wave with a larger amplitude.

Question 21

What is destructive interference?

Answer 21

Destructive interference occurs when two waves combine to produce a wave with a smaller amplitude.

Question 22

Fill in the blank: The speed of sound in air at room temperature is approximately ______ m/s.

Answer 22

343

Question 23

What is the Doppler effect?

Answer 23

The Doppler effect is the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the source of the wave.

Question 24

What is the difference between a wave’s speed and its energy?

Answer 24

Wave speed refers to how fast the wave travels, while energy refers to the capacity of the wave to do work.

Question 25

True or False: All waves can be described by the same fundamental properties.

Answer 25

True

Question 26

What is the term for the maximum displacement of a wave from its equilibrium position?

Answer 26

Amplitude

Question 27

What is refraction ?

Answer 27

When a wave passes from one medium to another

Question 28

When a wave passes through a denser medium what happens ?

Answer 28

Speed decreases, wavelength decreases, light bends closer to the normal

Question 29

Do waves reflect off a flat surface ?

Answer 29

Yes

Question 30

True or False waves cannot pass through a transparent material?

Answer 30

False

Question 31

What does the outer ear do to sound waves ?

Answer 31

It channels it down the ear canal