Topic 3.2: Wave Model Questions

A guitar string carries waves at 90 m s⁻¹ with frequency 150 Hz.

Show that the wavelength is 0.60 m.

An X-ray beam travels through a vacuum.

What are its approximate frequency and the nature of the wave?

State the wave equation that relates the speed v of a wave to its frequency f and wavelength λ.

Bats find insects using ultrasound pulses at 40 kHz, travelling at 340 m s⁻¹ through the night air.

Calculate the wavelength of these pulses.

Two graphs describe a water wave. On the left, how far each point is displaced along its length at one instant; on the right, how one particle moves as time passes.

State the wavelength and the period.

An oven heats food with microwaves.

What are an approximate wavelength of microwaves and the nature of the wave?

A thunderstorm produces light and sound.

Identify two differences between the light wave and the sound wave.

A displacement-distance graph (a snapshot) and a displacement-time graph are drawn for the same wave.

Identify which quantity is read directly off each graph, and state the equation that combines them to give the wave speed.

State the wave equation relating speed, frequency and wavelength.

A microphone records a note: one cycle lasts 2.5 ms, and the compressions are 0.85 m apart in the room.

Calculate how fast the note travels.

State the difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave in terms of how the particles of the medium move relative to the direction the wave travels.

Identify whether each of the following waves is transverse or longitudinal: (i) a sound wave in air; (ii) visible light; (iii) a wave sent along a stretched spring by pushing and pulling one end along its length.

A wave travels along a string at 24 m s⁻¹ with frequency 60 Hz.

Calculate its wavelength.

Two graphs describe a wave on a rope. On the left, how far each point is displaced along its length at one instant; on the right, how one particle moves as time passes.

State the wavelength and the period.

On a wave diagram, state what a single wavefront represents.

Ocean swell passing a pier has crests 1.2 m apart, and a new crest arrives every 0.80 s.

Calculate how fast the swell travels.

Ripples in a tank are made at 12 Hz and travel at 0.30 m s⁻¹.

Show that their wavelength is 2.5 cm.

Calculate its wavelength.

A water wave passes a buoy. The graph shows how the displacement d of the buoy, in cm, varies with time t, in s.

[Diagram: x-axis from 0 to 1.5 label t, y-axis from -1.04 to 1.04 label d, polyline: (0,0)-(0.0208333,0.21)-(0.0416667,0.4)-(0.0625,0.57)-(0.0833333,0.69)-(0.104167,0.77)-(0.125,0.8)-(0.145833,0.77)-(0.166667,0.69)-(0.1875,0.57)-(0.208333,0.4)-(0.229167,0.21)-(0.25,0)-(0.270833,-0.21)-(0.291667,-0.4)-(0.3125,-0.57)-(0.333333,-0.69)-(0.354167,-0.77)-(0.375,-0.8)-(0.395833,-0.77)-(0.416667,-0.69)-(0.4375,-0.57)-(0.458333,-0.4)-(0.479167,-0.21)-(0.5,-0)-(0.520833,0.21)-(0.541667,0.4)-(0.5625,0.57)-(0.583333,0.69)-(0.604167,0.77)-(0.625,0.8)-(0.645833,0.77)-(0.666667,0.69)-(0.6875,0.57)-(0.708333,0.4)-(0.729167,0.21)-(0.75,0)-(0.770833,-0.21)-(0.791667,-0.4)-(0.8125,-0.57)-(0.833333,-0.69)-(0.854167,-0.77)-(0.875,-0.8)-(0.895833,-0.77)-(0.916667,-0.69)-(0.9375,-0.57)-(0.958333,-0.4)-(0.979167,-0.21)-(1,-0)-(1.02083,0.21)-(1.04167,0.4)-(1.0625,0.57)-(1.08333,0.69)-(1.10417,0.77)-(1.125,0.8)-(1.14583,0.77)-(1.16667,0.69)-(1.1875,0.57)-(1.20833,0.4)-(1.22917,0.21)-(1.25,0)-(1.27083,-0.21)-(1.29167,-0.4)-(1.3125,-0.57)-(1.33333,-0.69)-(1.35417,-0.77)-(1.375,-0.8)-(1.39583,-0.77)-(1.41667,-0.69)-(1.4375,-0.57)-(1.45833,-0.4)-(1.47917,-0.21)-(1.5,-0)]

What are the frequency and the amplitude of the wave?

A wave travels along a spring. The graph shows how the displacement d of one coil, in mm, varies with time t, in ms.

[Diagram: x-axis from 0 to 5 label t, y-axis from -3.9 to 3.9 label d, polyline: (0,0)-(0.104167,0.78)-(0.208333,1.5)-(0.3125,2.12)-(0.416667,2.6)-(0.520833,2.9)-(0.625,3)-(0.729167,2.9)-(0.833333,2.6)-(0.9375,2.12)-(1.04167,1.5)-(1.14583,0.78)-(1.25,0)-(1.35417,-0.78)-(1.45833,-1.5)-(1.5625,-2.12)-(1.66667,-2.6)-(1.77083,-2.9)-(1.875,-3)-(1.97917,-2.9)-(2.08333,-2.6)-(2.1875,-2.12)-(2.29167,-1.5)-(2.39583,-0.78)-(2.5,-0)-(2.60417,0.78)-(2.70833,1.5)-(2.8125,2.12)-(2.91667,2.6)-(3.02083,2.9)-(3.125,3)-(3.22917,2.9)-(3.33333,2.6)-(3.4375,2.12)-(3.54167,1.5)-(3.64583,0.78)-(3.75,0)-(3.85417,-0.78)-(3.95833,-1.5)-(4.0625,-2.12)-(4.16667,-2.6)-(4.27083,-2.9)-(4.375,-3)-(4.47917,-2.9)-(4.58333,-2.6)-(4.6875,-2.12)-(4.79167,-1.5)-(4.89583,-0.78)-(5,-0)]

What are the frequency and the amplitude of the wave?