PROPERTIES OF WAVES
IGCSE/O LEVEL PHYSICS
PROPERTIES OF WAVES
EXERCISE
Answer all questions
Name:……………………………………………………………..
Date : ……………………………………………………………..
Marks ……..../…….... ……....% Grade ………
A* OR 9 ≥ 95%
A OR 8/7 ≥ 85%
B OR 6 ≥ 75%
C OR 5/4≥ 65%
D OR 3 ≥ 55%
E OR 2 less than 55%
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PROPERTIES OF WAVES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1) Which row shows the natures of light waves, sound waves and X-rays?
2) Different waves hit barriers with different sized gaps.The waves will diffract.In which
diagram does the greatest spreading occur?
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3) Which arrow on the graph shows the amplitude of the wave?
4) The diagram represents plane wavefronts being diffracted by passing through a gap
in a barrier.
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5) The diagram represents plane wavefronts of a water wave about to strike a solid
barrier.
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6) Plane water waves travel from a shallow region into a deeper region. They travel
more quickly in the deeper water.
7) The diagram shows a side view of a water wave at a particular time. The diagram is
drawn full size.
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8) The diagram shows a water wave approaching a barrier with a gap.
9) The diagram shows four waves drawn to the same scale.
Which statement is correct?
A The amplitude of wave P is the same as the amplitude of wave R.
B The amplitude of wave S is double the amplitude of wave Q.
C The wavelength of wave Q is double the wavelength of wave P.
D The wavelength of wave S is the same as the wavelength of wave Q.
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10) Which waves are longitudinal?
A) light waves from a lamp
B) microwaves in an oven
C) water waves on a pond
D) sound waves from a trumpet
11) Which row shows an example of a transverse wave and an example of a longitudinal
wave?
12) A boy throws a small stone into a pond. Waves spread out from where the stone hits
the water and travel to the side of the pond. The boy notices that eight waves reach
the side of the pond in a time of 5.0 s. What is the frequency of the waves?
A 0.20 Hz B 0.63 Hz C 1.6 Hz D 40 Hz
13) The diagram shows plane waves reflected by a plane surface.
Which line represents a wavefront?
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PROPERTIES OF WAVES
14) A swimmer is sitting on a rock at the sea shore looking at passing waves. He notices
that five complete wavelengths pass him in 20 s.
What is the frequency of this wave?
A 0.25 Hz B 4.0 Hz C 15 Hz D 100 Hz
15) What is the number of wavefronts per second that pass a fixed point?
A the amplitude of the wave
B the frequency of the wave
C the speed of the wave
D the wavelength of the wave
16) The diagrams represent water waves in a tank.
Which diagram represents a wave that changes speed?
17) A small boat in a harbour is protected from waves on the sea by harbour walls.
Some waves can curve round the harbour walls and reach the boat.
What is the name of this effect?
A diffraction
B dispersion
C reflection
D refraction
18) The diagram represents a wave.
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PROPERTIES OF WAVES
19) What is the unit of wavelength?
A hertz
B metre
C metre per second
D second
20) The diagram shows water waves passing through a gap in a harbour wall. The
waves curve round the wall and reach a small boat in the harbour.
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PROPERTIES OF WAVES
STRUCTURE QUESTIONS
1) Fig. 6.2 shows a water wave crossing a boundary from shallow water to deep water.
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2) A loudspeaker produces a sound wave of constant frequency.
(a) State what is meant by frequency.
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...[1]
(b) The sound wave travels in air towards a barrier with a small gap at its centre. Fig.
7.1
represents the compressions of the wave travelling towards the barrier.
(i) State what is meant by a compression.
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(ii) The width of the gap is smaller than the wavelength λ of the wave.
On Fig. 7.1, draw the pattern of the compressions after the sound wave has passed
through the gap. [2]
(iii) The barrier is adjusted so that the gap becomes wider.
Describe how this affects the pattern of the compressions after the sound wave has
passed through the gap.
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(c) The frequency of the sound wave is 6800 Hz. The speed of sound in air is 340 m / s.
(i) Calculate the wavelength of the sound wave in air.
wavelength = ...........................................................[2]
(ii) State a typical value for the speed of sound in a liquid.
.......................................................................................................................................[1]
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3) (a) The graph in Fig. 6.1 represents a wave on a rope.
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4) A loudspeaker is built into the side of a swimming pool. The loudspeaker produces
sound waves in the water of wavelength 0.25 m.
(a) (i) The frequency of the sound waves is 6.0 kHz.
Calculate the speed of the sound waves in water.
speed of sound waves in water = ...........................................................[2]
(ii) State a typical value for the speed of sound in air.
speed of sound in air = ...........................................................[1]
(iii) State and explain, for the sound produced by the loudspeaker, how the wavelength
of the sound in air compares with the wavelength of the sound in water.
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(b) Sound is a longitudinal wave.
Explain what is meant by a longitudinal wave.
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(c) The sound emerges from the loudspeaker through a gap. The sound diffracts as it
passesnthrough the gap.
(i) State how the width of the gap affects the diffraction.
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(ii) State how the wavelength of the sound affects the diffraction.
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5) Fig. 6.2 shows successive crests of a water wave approaching a narrow gap in a
barrier.
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6) (a) Fig. 6.1 shows the crests of a wave in the sea as it reaches the entrance to a
harbour.
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7) (a) A wave passes through a gap in a barrier. The wavelength of the wave is the
same magnitude as the width of the gap in the barrier.
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8) Fig. 6.1 represents wavefronts of a water wave on the surface of water approaching
a gap in a barrier.
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PROPERTIES OF WAVES
9) (a) Fig. 7.1 shows the surface of water in a tank.
Straight wavefronts are produced at the left-hand end of the tank and travel towards a
gap in a barrier. Curved wavefronts travel away from the gap.
(i) Name the process that causes the wavefronts to spread out at the gap.
............................................................................................................................. [1]
(ii) Suggest a cause of the reduced spacing of the wavefronts to the right of the barrier.
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(iii) State how the pattern of wavefronts to the right of the barrier changes when the
gap is made narrower.
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(b) Fig. 7.2 shows a wave travelling, in the direction of the arrow, along a rope.
(i) Explain why the wave shown in Fig. 7.2 is described as a transverse wave.
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(ii) The speed of the wave along the rope is 3.2 m / s.
Calculate the frequency of the wave.
frequency = .................................................. [3]
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10) A water wave in a tank travels from a region where the speed of the wave is faster
into a region where it is slower.
(a) (i) Take measurements from the scale diagram in Fig. 6.1 to determine the
wavelength of
the water wave as it travels in the faster region.
wavelength = ................................................ [2]
(ii) The speed of the wave in the faster region is 0.39 m / s.
Calculate the frequency of the wave.
frequency = ................................................ [2]
(b) On Fig. 6.1, draw lines that indicate the positions of the wavefronts of the water
wave in the slower region. [2]
(c) State what happens to the frequency of the water wave as it passes into the slower
region.
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BEST OF LUCK
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