1. A single disturbance that moves from point to point through a medium is called a ___.

a. period b. periodic wave c. wavelength d. pulse

2. If the particles of the medium are vibrating to and fro in the same direction of energy transport, then
the wave is a ____ wave.
a. longitudinal b. sound c. standing d. transverse
3. When the particles of a medium are vibrating at right angles to the direction of energy transport,
then the wave is a ____ wave.
a. longitudinal b. sound c. standing d. transverse
4. As a pulse travels though a uniform medium, the speed of the pulse ____.
a. decreases b. increases c. remains the same
5. The main factor which affects the speed of a sound wave is the ____.
a. amplitude of the sound wave b. intensity of the sound c. loudness of the sound d. properties of the
medium e. pitch of the sound
6. As a wave travels into a medium in which its speed increases, its wavelength would ____.
a. decrease b. increase c. remain the same
7. As a wave passes across a boundary into a new medium, which characteristic of the wave would not
change?
a. speed b. frequency c. wavelength
8. A wave X meters long passes through a medium with a speed of Y meters per second. The frequency
of the wave could be expressed as
a. Y/X cycles/sec. b. X/Y cycles/sec. c. XY cycles/sec. d. (X + Y) cycles/sec.
9. The speed of any mechanical wave as it propagates through a medium is dependent mainly on the
a. frequency of the wave source b. wavelength c. period of the wave d. type of medium through
which the wave travels e. amplitude
10. The shortest time interval in which a wave motion completely repeats itself (i.e., makes one
complete vibration or oscillation) is called the
a. amplitude b. period e. speed c. wavelength d. frequency
11. A transverse wave has amplitude of 2.4 m. What is the vertical distance, in metres, between the top
of a crest and the bottom of a trough?
a. 0.60 b. 1.2 c. 2.4 d. 3.6 e. 4.8
12. In a longitudinal wave,
a. The particles move parallel to the direction of the wave motion. b. The particles move
perpendicular to the direction of the wave motion. c. Energy causes the particles to move forward
with the wave. d. Energy is propagated by crests and troughs. e. The speed is unaffected by the
type of medium used.
13. In an ideal wave, which of the following wave properties does not change as it travels along the
same medium?
a. amplitude b. wavelength c. frequency d. period e. all of the above
14. Consider the following wave properties:
(i) speed (ii) frequency (iii) wavelength (iv) period
Which of the above quantities does not change as a wave changes mediums?
a. (i) only b. (ii) only c. (i) and (iii) only d. (i) and (iv) only e. (ii) and (iv) only
15. A water wave travels from shallow water to deep water and speeds up. Which of the following
statements best describes the wave's behaviour as it changes mediums?
a. The wavelength is shorter in the shallow water and longer in the deeper water. b. The
wavelength is longer in the shallow water and shorter in the deeper water. c. The wavelength is
unaffected. d. The frequency of the wave is lower in the shallow water and higher in the deeper
water. e. The frequency of the wave is higher in the shallow water and lower in the deeper water.
16. Which wave property most affects the intensity or loudness of sound?
a. reflection b. complexity c. frequency d. Amplitude e. speed
17. Which of the following frequencies is ultrasonic?
a. 12 Hz b. 25 Hz c. 332 Hz d. 5000 Hz e. 25 000 Hz
18. The change in direction of a sound wave around corners is called
a. diffraction b. refraction c. reflection d. interference e. resonance
19. An ambulance is approaching a stationary observer. For the observer, the apparent frequency of
the siren compared to the actual frequency of the siren
a. increases or decreases depending on the speed of the ambulance b. resonates c. decreases d.
stays the same e. increases
20. When a wave moves from shallow water to deep water, the
a. Frequency decreases, the wavelength increases, and the speed increase b. Frequency does not
change, the wavelength increases, and the speed increases. c. Frequency does not change, the
wavelength decreases, and the speed decreases d. Frequency does not change, the wavelength
increases, and the speed decreases
21. In a cartoon, Bugs Bunny is surfing on a 10 foot wave crest that's rapidly approaching the shore. The
wave crest travels onto the shore intact, with Bugs still on top of it, and continues to carry him
across level land for the next twenty miles. This sort of thing can't happen in real life because
a. Wave crests are made from local water and there is no water on land from which to build the
crest. b. Friction between the moving wave crest and the land will slow the crest to a stop in about
a mile. c. The wave crest will begin to roll like a wheel once it reaches the shore and Bugs will be
run over by it as it turns. d. Bugs is in an unstable equilibrium and won't be able to stay on top of
the crest for more than a mile or two.
22. If the energy in a longitudinal wave travels from south to north, the particles of the medium would
be vibrating _____.
a. from north to south, only b. both north and south c. from east to west, only d. both east and
west.
23. Waves that are produced on a guitar string by plucking it are
a. sound waves b. longitudinal waves c. electromagnetic waves d. acoustic waves e. transverse waves
24. The giant waves or tsunamis created by earthquakes have extremely long wavelengths. They travel
a. Extremely quickly because they involve only the water near the ocean's surface. b. Extremely
slowly and involve water to great depth in the ocean. c. Extremely slowly because they involve only
the water near the ocean's surface. d. Extremely quickly and involve water to great depth in the
ocean.
25. If the angle of incidence of a light ray is 300, what is the angle of reflection
a. 30 b. 45 c. 60 d. 90
26. As a wave travels into different medium with a change in direction, there will be a change in the
waves’s
a. speed b. frequency c. period d. phase
27. The following equation represent progressive waves
𝑧1 = 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 )
𝑧2 = 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝜔𝑡 + 𝑘𝑥 )
𝑧3 = 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝜔𝑡 + 𝑘𝑦)
𝑧4 = 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(2𝜔𝑡 − 2𝑘𝑦)
A stationary wave will be formed by superposing
a. 𝑧1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧2 b. 𝑧1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧4 c. 𝑧2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧3 d. 𝑧3 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧4
28. In a stationary wave, all particles are
a. at rest at the same time twice in every period of oscillation b. at rest at the same time once in
every period of oscillation c. never at rest at the same time d. never at rest at all.
29. A plane wave is represented by 𝑥 = 1.2 sin(314𝑡 + 12.56𝑦) where x and y are distances measured
along the x and y direction in metres and t is time in seconds. This wave has
 a. a wavelength of 0.25m and travel in positive x- direction b. a wavelength of 0.25m and travel in
negative x- direction c. a wavelength of 0.5m and travel in negative y- direction d. a wavelength of
0.5m and travel in positive x- direction.
30. Water waves produced by a motor boat sailing in water are
A. neither longitudinal nor transverse. B. both longitudinal and transverse. C. only longitudinal. D.
only transverse.
31. Sound waves of wavelength λ travelling in a medium with a speed of v m/s enter into another
medium where its speed is 2v m/s. Wavelength of sound waves in the second medium is
A. λ B. λ / 2 C. 2λ D. 4λ
32. Speed of sound wave in air
A. is independent of temperature. B. increases with pressure. C. increases with increase in
humidity. D. decreases with increase in humidity.
33. Change in temperature of the medium changes
A. frequency of sound waves. B. amplitude of sound waves. C. wavelength of sound waves. D.
loudness of sound waves.
34. With propagation of longitudinal waves through a medium, the quantity transmitted is
A. matter. B. energy. C. energy and matter. D. energy, matter and momentum.
35. Which of the following statements are true for wave motion?
A. Mechanical transverse waves can propagate through all mediums. B. Longitudinal waves can
propagate through solids only. C. Mechanical transverse waves can propagate through solids and
liquids only. D. Longitudinal waves can propagate through vacuum.
36. A sound wave is passing through air column in the form of compression and rarefaction. In
consecutive compressions and rarefactions,
A. density remains constant. C. Boyle’s law is obeyed. D. bulk modulus of air oscillates. D. there is
no transfer of heat.
37. A string of mass 2.5 kg is under a tension of 200 N. The length of the stretched string is 20.0 m. If
the transverse jerk is struck at one end of the string, the disturbance will reach the other end in
A. one second B. 0.5 second C. 2 seconds D. Data given is insufficient
38. Which statement correctly relates the intensity of a sound wave to the vibrations of the molecules?
A. intensity α amplitude B. intensity α (amplitude)2 C. intensity α displacement D. intensity α
(displacement)2
39. A wave of amplitude a has an intensity of 3.0Wm–2. What is the intensity of a wave of the same
frequency that has amplitude 2a?
A. 4.2Wm-2 B. 6.0Wm-2 C. 9.0Wm-2 D. 12Wm-2
40. What may be used to produce stationary waves?
A. blowing air over the top of an empty bottle B. making a loud sound near a mountain C. passing
monochromatic light through a double slit D. passing water waves through a narrow slit
41. Which of the following types of wave can be polarised?
A. a longitudinal progressive wave B. a longitudinal stationary wave C. a transverse stationary wave
D. a transverse sound wave
42. In which situation does diffraction occur?
A. A wave bounces back from a surface. B. A wave passes from one medium into another C. A
wave passes through an aperture. D. Waves from two identical sources are superposed.
43. Which of the following is true for all transverse waves?
A. They are all electromagnetic. B. They can all be polarised. C. They can all travel through a
vacuum. D. They all involve the oscillation of atoms.
44. Continuous water waves are diffracted through a gap in a barrier in a ripple tank. Which change will
cause the diffraction of the waves to increase?
 A. increasing the frequency of the waves B. increasing the width of the gap C. reducing the
wavelength of the waves D. reducing the width of the gap
45. Diffraction is the name given to the
A. addition of two coherent waves to produce stationary wave pattern. B. bending of waves round
an obstacle. C. change of direction when waves cross the boundary between one medium and
another. D. splitting of white light into colours.
46. Which wave properties change when light passes from air into glass?
A. colour and speed B. frequency and wavelength C. speed and wavelength D. wavelength and
colour.
47. What does not travel at the speed of light in a vacuum?
A. electrons B. microwaves C. radio waves D. X-rays
48. Microwaves of wavelength 3.00 cm are incident normally on a row of parallel metal rods. The
separation of the rods is 8.00 cm. The first order diffraction maximum is observed at an angle of
22.0° to the direction of the incident waves. What is the angle between the first and second order
diffraction maxima?
A 22.0° B 26.6° C 44.0° D 48.6°
49. The driver of car travelling with a speed of 30m/s towards a hill sounds a horn of frequency 600Hz.
If the velocity of sound in air is 330m/s, the frequency of sound heard by the driver is
A. 720Hz B. 555.5Hz C. 550Hz D. 500Hz
𝜋𝑥
50. The equation of a stationary wave is 𝑦 = 0.8 cos [ 20 ] sin 𝜋𝑡 where x is in cm and t is in seconds. The
separation between consecutive nodes will be
A. 20cm B. 10cm C. 40cm D. 30cm
51. If the amplitude at distance r from a point source is A, the amplitude at a distance 2r will be
A. 2A B. A C. A/2 D. A/4
52. The superposition takes place between two waves of frequency f and amplitude a. The total
intensity is directly proportional to
A. a B. 2a C. 2a2 D. 4a2
53. There is a destructive interference between the two waves of wavelength ʎ coming from two
different paths at a point. To get the maximum sound or constructive interference at that point, the
path of one wave is to be increased by
A. ʎ/2 B. ʎ/4 C. 3ʎ/4 D. ʎ/3
54. A pipe of length 45cm is closed at one end. Calculate the fundamental frequency of the sound wave
generated in the pipe if the velocity of sound in air is 360m/s.
A. 600Hz B. 400Hz C. 200Hz D. 800Hz
55. Sound waves, emitted by a small loudspeaker, are reflected by a wall. The frequency f of the waves
is adjusted until a stationary wave is formed with the antinode nearest the wall at a distance x from
the wall. Which expression gives f in terms of x and the speed of sound c?
4𝑐 2𝑐 𝑐 𝑐
A. 𝑓 = 𝑥 B. 𝑓 = 𝑥 C. 𝑓 = 2𝑥 D. 𝑓 = 4𝑥

ESSAY

1. Explain, using a diagram, the difference between a transverse and longitudinal wave.
2. What type of waves are the following:
a. Sound waves
b. Water waves
c. Light waves.
3. Briefly explain the two types of waves with examples
4. Explain why sound travels quicker in solids and liquids than gases. (Hint – think about the
arrangement of particles in solids and liquids compared to gases.)
5. Why is the speed of sound is greater in hot air than it is in cold air, why?
6. A plane wave has the equation 𝑦 = 25𝑠𝑖𝑛(120𝑡 − 4𝑥 ). Find the
I. Wavelength, wave velocity, frequency and period of the wave.
II. Amplitude of the wave (where x and y are metres, t is in seconds)
7. Why is sound made at a distance heard distinctly at night than at day time?
8. What types of waves propagate in a liquid? Explain.
9. When a stone is thrown on the surface of the water, the waves travel out. From where does this
energy come from?
10. When water is poured into an extremely hot vessel, it gives a sizzling sound, why?
11. A diffraction grating has 850 lines per mm. find the slit spacing for this grating.
b. find the angle for the first maxima for the wavelength of 5 × 10−7 𝑚𝑚.
12. Explain what is meant by
a. The principle of superposition.
b. diffraction
c. why sound waves cannot be polarised
d. polarisation
e. distinguish between constructive and destructive interference
f. state the condition necessary for sources of wave to be coherent
13. The refractive index of glass is 1.5.
a. A ray of light passes from air to glass. It makes an angle of 200 to the normal just before entering
the glass. Calculate the angle the refracted ray makes with normal.
b. The speed of light in air is 3 × 108 𝑚/𝑠. Calculate the speed of light in glass.
c. Calculate the critical angle for glass.
14. a. Explain what is meant by the superposition of waves.
b. Distinguish between constructive and destructive interference.
c. State two conditions necessary for waves to be coherent
d. Why is it necessary to have two coherent sources produce interference pattern?
𝑣
16. a. A source and listener are both moving towards each other with speed 10 where v is the speed of
sound. If the frequency of the note emitted by source is f, what is the frequency heard by listener?
Give your answer in terms of f.
b. The source of sound s is moving with a velocity 50m/s towards Caleb, who is a stationary
observer. Caleb measures the frequency of the source as 1000Hz. What will be the apparent
frequency of the source when it is moving towards Caleb? Also calculate the apparent frequency of
the source when it is moving away from Caleb after crossing him. Assume the velocity of sound in
the medium is 350m/s.
17. A tube closed at one end vibrates at 2000Hz, a stationary wave is formed and the distance between
adjacent nodes is 8cm. When the frequency is gradually reduced, the stationary wave disappears
but then reappears at a frequency of 1600Hz. Calculate:
a. The speed of sound in air.
b. The distance between adjacent nodes at 1600Hz.
c. The next lower frequency at which a stationary wave is obtained.
d. The length of the tube

18. A signal generator is set at 152Hz, 10 loops fit the length of the vibrating string exactly. The string is
of length 2m and mass on the end of it is 0.72kg. What is the mass of the string?
19. A piece of glass tubing is closed at one end by covering it with a sheet of metal. The fundamental
frequency is found to be 280Hz. Calculate the length of the tube. If the metal sheet is removed,
 calculate the wavelength and frequencies of the fundamental and second harmonic (the speed of
sound in air is 340m/s).
20. In a standing waves pattern on a string, the distance between the third and seventh nodes is 1.52m.
The source generates 25 crest and 25 troughs on 5.4s
a. What is the frequency?
b. What is the wavelength?
c. What is the speed of the wave?
d. What would be the frequency of the wave one octave above the given wave?

21. During ultrasonic imaging, ultrasound is incident at an angle 100, in soft tissue, on to a plane soft
tissue-bone boundary. If the angle of refraction in the bone is 27.40. calculate;
a. The speed of ultrasound in the bone given that it is 1.54km/s in soft tissue.
b. The refractive index when ultrasound travels from bone to soft tissue.