Wave Motion

Question 1

What is a wave?

Answer 1

A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy through space or matter.

Question 2

What are the two main types of waves?

Answer 2

Mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves.

Question 3

True or False: Waves can only travel through solids.

Answer 3

False: Waves can travel through solids, liquids, and gases.

Question 4

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

Answer 4

wavelength.

Question 5

What is the frequency of a wave?

Answer 5

The frequency is the number of cycles of the wave that occur in one second.

Question 6

What unit is used to measure frequency?

Answer 6

Hertz (Hz).

Question 7

True or False: Higher frequency waves have longer wavelengths.

Answer 7

False: Higher frequency waves have shorter wavelengths.

Question 8

What is amplitude in terms of wave motion?

Answer 8

Amplitude is the maximum displacement of points on a wave from its rest position.

Question 9

What is the speed of a wave?

Answer 9

The speed of a wave is the distance traveled by a wave per unit time.

Question 10

How is wave speed calculated?

Answer 10

Wave speed is calculated by multiplying frequency by wavelength (v = f × λ).

Question 11

What is a transverse wave?

Answer 11

A transverse wave is a wave where the particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.

Question 12

What is a longitudinal wave?

Answer 12

A longitudinal wave is a wave where the particle displacement is parallel to the direction of wave propagation.

Question 13

Give an example of a mechanical wave.

Answer 13

Sound wave.

Question 14

What is the principle of superposition?

Answer 14

The principle of superposition states that when two or more waves overlap, the resulting wave displacement is the sum of the individual displacements.

Question 15

What is constructive interference?

Answer 15

Constructive interference occurs when two waves combine to produce a wave of greater amplitude.

Question 16

What is destructive interference?

Answer 16

Destructive interference occurs when two waves combine to produce a wave of lesser amplitude.

Question 17

What is a standing wave?

Answer 17

A standing wave is a wave that remains in a constant position, formed by the interference of two waves traveling in opposite directions.

Question 18

What are nodes in a standing wave?

Answer 18

Nodes are points on a standing wave that remain stationary and have zero amplitude.

Question 19

What are antinodes in a standing wave?

Answer 19

Antinodes are points on a standing wave where the amplitude is at a maximum.

Question 20

True or False: Sound waves are longitudinal waves.

Answer 20

True.

Question 21

What is the Doppler effect?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What happens to the pitch of a sound as the source approaches an observer?

Answer 22

The pitch increases.

Question 23

What happens to the pitch of a sound as the source moves away from an observer?

Answer 23

The pitch decreases.

Question 24

Define wave reflection.

Answer 24

Wave reflection is the bouncing back of a wave when it encounters a barrier.

Question 25

What is refraction?

Answer 25

Refraction is the bending of a wave as it passes from one medium to another due to a change in speed.

Question 26

What is diffraction?

Answer 26

Diffraction is the spreading out of waves when they pass through a narrow opening or around obstacles.

Question 27

What is resonance?

Answer 27

Resonance is the phenomenon that occurs when a system is driven at its natural frequency, resulting in a significant increase in amplitude.

Question 28

What is the relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength?

Answer 28

Wave speed equals frequency multiplied by wavelength (v = f × λ).

Question 29

True or False: All waves require a medium to travel through.

Answer 29

False: Electromagnetic waves do not require a medium.

Question 30

What is a wave front?

Answer 30

A wave front is an imaginary surface representing points of a wave that oscillate in phase.

Question 31

What is the phase of a wave?

Answer 31

The phase of a wave refers to the position of a point in time on a waveform cycle.

Question 32

What is a wave packet?

Answer 32

A wave packet is a localized group of waves that travels together.

Question 33

Define amplitude modulation.

Answer 33

Amplitude modulation is the variation of a wave's amplitude to encode information.

Question 34

What is frequency modulation?

Answer 34

Frequency modulation is the variation of a wave's frequency to encode information.

Question 35

What is the speed of sound in air at room temperature?

Answer 35

Approximately 343 meters per second.

Question 36

What type of wave is light?

Answer 36

Light is an electromagnetic wave.

Question 37

What is wave polarization?

Answer 37

Wave polarization is the orientation of the oscillations in a transverse wave, often seen in light waves.

Question 38

What is the principle of energy conservation in wave motion?

Answer 38

The total energy in a closed system remains constant; energy can be transformed but not created or destroyed.

Question 39

What is a medium in the context of wave motion?

Answer 39

A medium is the substance through which a wave travels.

Question 40

What is the formula for calculating the wavelength of a wave?

Answer 40

Wavelength (λ) = wave speed (v) / frequency (f).

Question 41

True or False: The amplitude of a wave affects its speed.

Answer 41

False: Amplitude does not affect wave speed in a given medium.

Question 42

What is an example of a transverse wave?

Answer 42

Light wave.

Question 43

What does it mean for a wave to be periodic?

Answer 43

A periodic wave is one that repeats at regular intervals over time.

Question 44

What is the inverse relationship between frequency and wavelength?

Answer 44

As frequency increases, wavelength decreases, and vice versa.

Question 45

Define wave energy.

Answer 45

Wave energy is the energy carried by the wave, which is related to its amplitude and frequency.

Question 46

What phenomenon occurs when waves travel from deep to shallow water?

Answer 46

Waves slow down and increase in height, leading to breaking waves.