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Course: American System Physics
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American System Physics

A Physics Toolkit

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Representing Motion

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Accelerated Motion

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Forces in One Dimension

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Displacement and Force in Two Dimensions

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Motion in Two Dimensions

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Gravitation

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Rotational Motion

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Momentum and Its Conservation

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Energy and Its Conservation

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Thermal Energy

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States of Matter

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Vibrations and Waves

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Sound

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Fundamentals of Light

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Reflection and Refraction

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Interference and Diffraction

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Electrostatics

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Electric Current and Circuits

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Magnetic Fields

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Electromagnetic Induction and Electromagnetism

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Quantum Theory and the Atom

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Solid-State Electronics

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Nuclear and Particle Physics

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Quiz

13.3 Wave Behavior – Quiz

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Wave Behavior American Physics quiz: free practice for American System Physics. Work through this Wave Behavior American Physics quiz and get instant feedback on every answer. If you get stuck, review the 13.3 Wave Behavior — Notes lesson. More practice: American System Physics — all units. Syllabus: OpenStax free science textbooks.

  • Questions count: 50
  • Passing grade: A-
  • Time limit:
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1.
The diagram shows water waves travelling towards a flat barrier in a ripple tank. The angle between the direction of travel and the barrier is 35°. What is the angle of reflection?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 1
55°
35°
70°
145°
2.
The ripple tank diagram shows straight waves passing from deep to shallow water. The dipper frequency is 6.0 Hz. What is the wave speed in the shallow water?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 2
12 cm/s
4.0 cm/s
9.0 cm/s
1.5 cm/s
3.
Two pulses travel towards each other on a rope as shown. What is the maximum displacement of the rope at the instant the pulses exactly overlap?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 3
3 cm
1 cm
6 cm
5 cm
4.
Two pulses approach each other on a rope as shown. What does the rope look like at the instant they exactly overlap, and what happens afterwards?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 4
A 1 cm upward pulse; afterwards both pulses continue unchanged
A flat rope; afterwards both pulses are destroyed
A 5 cm upward pulse; afterwards they continue unchanged
A 1 cm upward pulse; afterwards only pulse 1 continues
5.
The diagram shows a standing wave on a string fixed at both ends. Waves travel along the string at 80 m/s. What is the frequency of vibration?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 5
25.0 Hz
100 Hz
50.0 Hz
64.0 Hz
6.
For the standing wave shown, what is the distance between two adjacent nodes?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 6
0.90 m
0.23 m
0.45 m
1.8 m
7.
The graph shows two waves arriving at the same place. What is the amplitude of the resultant wave?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 7
5 cm
0 cm
3 cm
1 cm
8.
Wave 1 and wave 2 in the graph overlap at one location. Which describes the interference and the resultant amplitude there?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 8
Constructive, 4 cm
Destructive, 0 cm
Constructive, 2 cm
Destructive, 4 cm
9.
How many nodes and antinodes does the standing wave shown have (count the fixed ends as nodes)?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 9
5 nodes and 5 antinodes
6 nodes and 5 antinodes
5 nodes and 6 antinodes
6 nodes and 6 antinodes
10.
A student summarises what happens to a wave in the table. Which entry is wrong?
Speed "Same" for reflection
Wavelength "Same" for diffraction
Frequency "Decreases" for refraction
Speed "Decreases" for refraction into a slower medium
11.
Two coherent dippers in phase produce waves of wavelength 2.0 cm. The table gives the path difference at four points. At which points is there destructive interference?
P and S
Q only
R and S
Q and R
12.
A string 1.5 m long fixed at both ends resonates at the frequencies in the table. What is the wave speed on the string?
120 m/s
60.0 m/s
26.7 m/s
240 m/s
13.
Complete the table: what is reflected when a pulse passes into a denser (heavier) rope?
A fully reflected upright pulse
A partly reflected inverted pulse, with an upright pulse transmitted
No reflection at all
A partly reflected upright pulse, with an inverted pulse transmitted
14.
A student varies the gap width in a ripple tank with waves of wavelength 1.0 cm and records the observations in the table. Which conclusion is valid?
Diffraction is greatest for the widest gap
Narrow gaps reduce the wavelength of the waves
Diffraction is greatest when the gap width is about equal to the wavelength
Gap width has no effect on diffraction
15.
Use the ripple tank data in the table to find the wavelength of the waves in the shallow region.
3.0 cm
4.0 cm
4.5 cm
2.0 cm
16.
Students measure angles of incidence and reflection for waves in a ripple tank (table). What is the best conclusion?
Angle of reflection equals angle of incidence within experimental uncertainty of about ±2°
Angle of reflection is always larger than angle of incidence
There is no relationship between the angles
Angle of reflection is always 1° different, so the law is wrong
17.
The fundamental frequency of a stretched string is measured for different lengths at constant tension (table). What frequency is expected for 1.20 m?
38 Hz
50 Hz
25 Hz
60 Hz
18.
Pairs of waves meet in antiphase with the amplitudes in the table. Which pair gives complete cancellation?
Only the 4.0 cm and 1.5 cm pair
All three pairs
The 4.0 cm and 4.0 cm pair, and the 2.5 cm and 2.5 cm pair
None of the pairs
19.
In a ripple tank, how are two coherent sources usually produced?
Two separate motors switched on at different times
One dipper moved from place to place
Two barriers forming a gap
Two dippers attached to the same vibrating motor
20.
In a ripple tank, a glass plate is placed to make one region shallow. What would you observe as the wavefronts cross into it?
They get closer together and, if they meet the edge at an angle, bend towards the normal
They get further apart and bend away from the normal
They stay the same spacing but slow down
They disappear completely
21.
How could a student use a ripple tank to show that diffraction depends on gap width?
Vary the frequency and gap width together, then compare
Keep the gap fixed and change the depth only
Keep the frequency fixed, vary the gap between two barriers, and sketch how much the wavefronts spread for each width
Measure the amplitude of the waves before the gap only
22.
A student finds the interference pattern in a ripple tank keeps shifting about. What is the most likely cause?
The two sources are not coherent (their phase difference changes)
The water is too deep
The wavelength is too short
The barriers are too smooth
23.
A string 0.80 m long fixed at both ends vibrates in its fundamental mode. Waves travel along it at 96 m/s. What is the frequency?
120 Hz
60 Hz
240 Hz
154 Hz
24.
A standing wave has adjacent nodes 12 cm apart. What is the wavelength?
12 cm
6.0 cm
24 cm
48 cm
25.
Waves of wavelength 4.0 cm from two coherent sources meet at a point where the path difference is 6.0 cm. What happens there?
Destructive interference, because 6.0 cm is 1.5 wavelengths
Constructive interference, because 6.0 cm is a whole number of centimetres
Constructive interference, because 6.0 cm is 1.5 wavelengths
No interference, because the path difference is not zero
26.
A string fixed at both ends vibrates in its 3rd harmonic at 150 Hz. What is its fundamental frequency?
450 Hz
50 Hz
150 Hz
75 Hz
27.
You can hear a friend talking around the corner of a building but cannot see them. Which explanation is correct?
Sound travels faster than light, so it reaches you first
Light is reflected by the building but sound is not
Sound wavelengths are similar to the size of doorways and corners so they diffract a lot; light wavelengths are far too small
Sound refracts through the wall but light cannot
28.
Long-wave radio can be received behind hills, but high-frequency signals need a clear line of sight. Why?
High-frequency waves travel more slowly
Long-wave radio is reflected more by the ground
High-frequency waves have a larger wavelength
Long wavelengths diffract more around the hills
29.
Which statement describes a node on a standing wave?
A point that always has zero displacement
A point that has the maximum amplitude
A point that moves along the string at the wave speed
A point where the wave is reflected
30.
Reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference are each defined by a different effect. Which pairing is correct?
Diffraction – a change in wave speed at a boundary
Refraction – a change in wave speed at a boundary
Reflection – spreading through a gap
Interference – bouncing off a barrier
31.
Two in-phase coherent dippers send waves to points at various path differences. Which pairing is correct?
Path difference λ/2 – constructive
Path difference 3λ – destructive
Path difference 2λ – constructive
Path difference 5λ/2 – constructive
32.
On a vibrating guitar string, some points stay still while others swing widely. Which pairing is correct?
Node – point of maximum amplitude
Antinode – point that never moves
Node – point where the wave is absorbed
Antinode – point of maximum amplitude
33.
On a standing wave of wavelength 60 cm, the distance from a node to the adjacent antinode is _____.
30 cm
60 cm
7.5 cm
15 cm
34.
An imaginary line drawn at 90° to a boundary, from which angles are measured, is called the _____.
wavefront
node
normal
amplitude
35.
Superposition of waves arriving in phase gives _____ interference.
destructive
no
total
constructive
36.
Sources with the same frequency and a constant phase difference are called _____ sources.
coherent
resonant
incident
damped
37.
In the diagram, the angle of incidence is 60°. True or false?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 10
True
False
True, because the 60° angle shown is the one used in the law of reflection
True only when the barrier is curved
38.
In a ripple tank interference experiment, the calm lines are places where waves from the two dippers arrive in antiphase. True or false?
False
True
False, because calm lines are where crests meet crests
True only when the dippers are far apart
39.
In a ripple tank, a wave that meets a boundary between deep and shallow water along the normal changes speed but not direction. True or false?
False
False, because waves always bend at a boundary
True only when the shallow water is very shallow
True
40.
A pulse reflected from a fixed end of a rope returns inverted. True or false?
False
True
False, because fixed ends reflect pulses upright
True only when the rope is very light
41.
When a wave is reflected, its speed, frequency and wavelength all stay the same. True or false?
False
False, because reflection halves the wavelength
True
True only when the wave meets the barrier head-on
42.
Diffraction through a narrow gap reduces the wavelength of the waves. True or false?
True
True, because the waves are squeezed through the gap
True only when the gap is narrower than one wavelength
False
43.
A standing wave transfers energy along its length from one end to the other. True or false?
False
True
True, because the antinodes carry energy to the ends
True only when it has only one loop
44.
A wave entering a medium where it travels faster bends away from the normal. True or false?
False
True
False, because faster waves bend towards the normal
True only when the wave is longitudinal
45.
Two waves of amplitude 3.0 cm and 5.0 cm meeting in antiphase give a resultant amplitude of 2.0 cm. True or false?
False
False, because the amplitudes should add to 8.0 cm
True
True only when the waves have different frequencies
46.
Refraction is caused by a change in the frequency of a wave as it enters a new medium. True or false?
True
True, because the new medium changes the source frequency
True only when the wave meets the boundary at an angle
False
47.
After two pulses pass through each other on a rope, each continues with its original shape and speed. True or false?
True
False
False, because the pulses cancel permanently
True only when the pulses are the same height
48.
Two loudspeakers connected to the same signal generator act as coherent sources. True or false?
False
True
False, because separate speakers can never be coherent
True only when they are placed very close together
49.
A wave refracting into a slower medium bends towards the normal and its wavelength decreases. True or false?
True
False
False, because slower waves always have longer wavelengths
True only when the wave meets the boundary along the normal
50.
A gap much wider than the wavelength produces strong diffraction with near-circular wavefronts. True or false?
True
False
True, because wider gaps let more of the wave spread
True only when the waves are sound waves
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Part of Vibrations and Waves — see every lesson and quiz in this unit.
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