Multiple Choice Questions

A shock wave in air is three-dimensional.
  • A bow wave on the surface of water is two-dimensional. What about a shock wave in air?
  • Can the Doppler effect be observed with longitudinal waves or with transverse waves?
  • In what direction are the vibrations relative to the direction of wave travel in a transverse wave?
  • How fast does a supersonic aircraft fly compared with the speed of sound?
This is characteristic of the Doppler effect, meaning the Sun's motion leads to a change in frequency on its edges.
  • Why is there a Doppler effect when the source of sound is stationary and the listener is in motion? In which direction should the listener move to hear a higher frequency? A lower frequency?
  • When you blow your horn while driving toward a stationary listener, the listener hears an increase in frequency of the horn. Would the listener hear an increase in horn frequency if he or she were also in a car traveling at the same speed in the same direction as you are? Explain.
  • The wavelength of a transverse wave is the distance between successive crests (or troughs). What is the wavelength of a longitudinal wave?
  • Astronomers find that light emitted by a particular element at one edge of the Sun has a slightly higher frequency than light from that element at the opposite edge. What do these measurements tell us about the Sun's motion?
The source of all waves, whether mechanical or electromagnetic, is something that is vibrating.
  • Does the medium in which a wave travels move with the wave?
  • What is the source of all waves?
  • What is meant by the superposition principle?
  • How does a sine curve describe a wave?
The wavelength is the distance between successive maximum compressions (or rarefractions).
  • The wavelength of a transverse wave is the distance between successive crests (or troughs). What is the wavelength of a longitudinal wave?
  • Imagine a superfast fish that is able to swim faster than the speed of sound in water. Would such a fish produce a "sonic boom"?
  • wavelength
  • Can standing waves be formed with transverse waves or longitudinal waves?
101,700,000 vibrations1 vibration per second = 1Hz, 1 million vibrations per second = 1MHz
  • How does a sine curve describe a wave?
  • Can standing waves be formed with transverse waves or longitudinal waves?
  • How many vibrations per second are represented in a radio wave of 101.7 MHz?
  • How fast does a supersonic aircraft fly compared with the speed of sound?
the time a pendulum takes to swing to-and-fro. This is only dependent on the length of the pendulum, not the mass or size or arc.
  • What is meant by the period of a pendulum?
  • How are frequency and period related to each other?
  • Which has the longer period, a short or a long pendulum?
  • Distinguish between these different aspects of a wave: period, amplitude, wavelength, and frequency.
number of crests that pass per second.
  • Amplitude
  • frequency
  • How fast does a supersonic aircraft fly compared with the speed of sound?
  • wavelength
As fast as or faster than the speed of sound.
  • A bow wave on the surface of water is two-dimensional. What about a shock wave in air?
  • How fast must a bug swim to keep up with the waves it produces? How fast must it move to produce a bow wave?
  • In what direction are the vibrations relative to the direction of wave travel in a transverse wave?
  • How fast does a supersonic aircraft fly compared with the speed of sound?
At right angles to the direction of wave travel.
  • In what direction are the vibrations relative to the direction of wave travel in a transverse wave?
  • In what direction are the vibrations relative to the direction of wave travel in a longitudinal wave?
  • How fast does a supersonic aircraft fly compared with the speed of sound?
  • Can the Doppler effect be observed with longitudinal waves or with transverse waves?
Both. This includes light and sound.
  • In what direction are the vibrations relative to the direction of wave travel in a transverse wave?
  • How fast does a supersonic aircraft fly compared with the speed of sound?
  • Can the Doppler effect be observed with longitudinal waves or with transverse waves?
  • In the Doppler effect, does frequency change? Does wave speed change?
Frequency and period are inversely proportional.Frequency = 1/periodPeriod = 1/Frequency
  • What is meant by the period of a pendulum?
  • Period
  • True or false: In order for an object to produce a sonic boom, it must be "noisy."
  • How are frequency and period related to each other?
distance from the midpoint to a crest. Think visual amplitude on sound board from flat bottom screen to its possible height.
  • What is the source of all waves?
  • Imagine a superfast fish that is able to swim faster than the speed of sound in water. Would such a fish produce a "sonic boom"?
  • wavelength
  • Amplitude
increase. A shorter pendulum swings to and fro more frequently than a longer one.
  • In the Doppler effect, does frequency change? Does wave speed change?
  • If a pendulum is shortened, does its frequency increase or decrease?
  • If a pendulum is shortened, does its period increase or decrease?
  • What is the relationship among frequency, wavelength, and wave speed?
Period is the time from one crest to the next, amplitude is the distance from the midpoint to a crest, wavelength is the distance from one crest to the next, and frequency is the number of crests that pass per second.
  • Which has the longer period, a short or a long pendulum?
  • How are frequency and period related to each other?
  • Distinguish between these different aspects of a wave: period, amplitude, wavelength, and frequency.
  • What is meant by the period of a pendulum?
Constructive interference occurs when the crests of two waves add together. Destructive interference occurs when a crest of one wave is reduced by the trough of another.
  • Distinguish between constructive interference and destructive interference.
  • Can standing waves be formed with transverse waves or longitudinal waves?
  • What is a wiggle in time called? What do you call a wiggle in space and time?
  • In one word, what is it that moves from source to receiver in wave motion?
disturbance. Energy can be transferred from source to receiver without transfer of matter. What is propagated is the disturbance, not the medium through which is transferred. The medium returns to its initial condition after the disturbance has passed.
  • Can standing waves be formed with transverse waves or longitudinal waves?
  • In one word, what is it that moves from source to receiver in wave motion?
  • What is meant by a blue shift and a red shift for light?
  • In the Doppler effect, does frequency change? Does wave speed change?
A sine curve is a pictorial representation of a wave, produced by simple harmonic motion.
  • What is the relationship among frequency, wavelength, and wave speed?
  • Can standing waves be formed with transverse waves or longitudinal waves?
  • How does a sine curve describe a wave?
  • Does the medium in which a wave travels move with the wave?
distance from one crest to the next crest, or between any two identical points of the wave.
  • wavelength
  • Amplitude
  • What is the source of all waves?
  • The wavelength of a transverse wave is the distance between successive crests (or troughs). What is the wavelength of a longitudinal wave?
An approaching source has increased light frequency towards the high-frequency end of the color spectrum - a blue shift. A receding source has a decreasing frequency towards the low-frequency spectrum end - a red shift.
  • What is a node? What is an antinode?
  • What is meant by a blue shift and a red shift for light?
  • What is a wiggle in time called? What do you call a wiggle in space and time?
  • What is meant by the superposition principle?
The angle of the V gets smaller as the speed of the source gets faster.
  • Period
  • What is meant by the period of a pendulum?
  • How does the V shape of a bow wave depend on the speed of the source?
  • Which has the longer period, a short or a long pendulum?
standing waves can be produced with either transverse or longitudinal vibrations.
  • If a pendulum is shortened, does its period increase or decrease?
  • How many vibrations per second are represented in a radio wave of 101.7 MHz?
  • If a pendulum is shortened, does its frequency increase or decrease?
  • Can standing waves be formed with transverse waves or longitudinal waves?
The long pendulum has the longer period.The period is proportional to the length.
  • Period
  • How are frequency and period related to each other?
  • Which has the longer period, a short or a long pendulum?
  • Distinguish between these different aspects of a wave: period, amplitude, wavelength, and frequency.
This could be considered a "water boom", as the fish speeds through the water, entering water with an undisturbed area.
  • In what direction are the vibrations relative to the direction of wave travel in a longitudinal wave?
  • Imagine a superfast fish that is able to swim faster than the speed of sound in water. Would such a fish produce a "sonic boom"?
  • Astronomers find that light emitted by a particular element at one edge of the Sun has a slightly higher frequency than light from that element at the opposite edge. What do these measurements tell us about the Sun's motion?
  • In the Doppler effect, does frequency change? Does wave speed change?
As fast as the wave speed; as fast as or faster than the wave speed.When the bug swims as fast as the speed of the waves it produces, the waves pile in front of the source. When it outruns the waves it produces, it will always be entering water with a smooth surface.
  • True or false: A sonic boom occurs only when an aircraft is breaking through the sound barrier. Defend your answer.
  • Why is there a Doppler effect when the source of sound is stationary and the listener is in motion? In which direction should the listener move to hear a higher frequency? A lower frequency?
  • How fast does a supersonic aircraft fly compared with the speed of sound?
  • How fast must a bug swim to keep up with the waves it produces? How fast must it move to produce a bow wave?
When two or more waves occupy the same space, wave displacements add at every point.
  • What is meant by the superposition principle?
  • What is meant by a blue shift and a red shift for light?
  • Does the medium in which a wave travels move with the wave?
  • What is the relationship among frequency, wavelength, and wave speed?
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Multiple Choice Questions
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