Wave motion – Practice questions

Book: Concise Revision Course. CSEC Physics. Pages 87 – 90.

1. (a) Distinguish between ‘transverse’ and ‘longitudinal’ waves.

(b) State ONE example each of transverse and longitudinal waves.

2. This question is concerned with the properties of three different kinds of waves.

(a) Speed,

(b) wavelength and

(c) frequency are properties of waves.

Explain the meaning of each of these terms

3. (a) In the wave equation, velocity ( v ), frequency ( f ) and wavelength ( λ ) are related.

Write the equation.

(b) What other information would be needed to calculate the wave’s velocity?

(c) A wave motion has a frequency of 10 Hz and a wavelength of 250 m. Calculate the
speed of the wave.

4. The diagram below represents a Displacement - Time graph of a waveform. This represents a
transverse wave.

(a) The wavelength of this wave is _____________ and the amplitude is _____________.

(b) For the periodic wave above;

(i) there are _____________ cycles in a time of __________________.

(ii) the periodic time is _____________________.

 5. The figure below is a displacement-time graph representing a wave of wavelength 1.29 m.

For this wave determine the:

(a) amplitude, A, in metres

(b) period, T

(c) frequency, f

(d) speed, v

6. A transverse progressive wave travels along a stretched string from left to right. The shape of
part of the string at a particular instant is shown in the figure below.

The frequency of the wave is 15 Hz.

 Use the figure to determine, for this wave, the

(a) amplitude, in metres

(b) wavelength

(c) speed.

7. The figure below shows a sinusoidal wave.

(a) Indicate on the figure above the amplitude of the wave.

Using the figure above, determine the wave’s

(b) amplitude (in metres)

(c) period (in seconds)

(d) frequency (in hertz).

8. (a) The figure below shows a Displacement – Time graph of a wavetrain.

(i) What is the frequency?

(ii) Sketch the curve of another wave of the same frequency and phase, but twice the
amplitude.

(b) (i) Draw a displacement-time graph to represent the movement of a floating buoy
which has an amplitude of 0.5 m as a water wave passes with a period of 3 s.

(ii) Can the graph you drew in part (b) (i) be used to tell whether the wave is
transverse or longitudinal?
9. (a) A transverse seismic (earthquake) wave travels with a speed of 5 000 m s −1 and causes
the ground to vibrate up and down. The graph in figure below shows the variation, with
time, of the displacement of the ground at a point, as the wave passes.

(i) Calculate the frequency of the wave.

(ii) Calculate the wavelength of the wave.

(iii) On the graph, draw two small crosses at the times at which the ground is moving
at the greatest rate. Explain your choice of points.

(iv) Write down a time at which the ground is stationary.

(v) On the axes shown in the figure below, draw a graph to represent a seismic wave
of half the amplitude and twice the frequency of the wave shown in figure
above. (4 marks)

(b) (i) State TWO differences between sound waves and electromagnetic waves.

(ii) Relate the terms “pitch” and “loudness” to the physical properties of a sound
wave.

(iii) Describe an experiment to show that sound does not travel in a vacuum.
10. (a) The figure below represents a number of adjacent wavefronts of a water wave in a ripple tank.

Use the figure to determine the wavelength of the water wave

(b) The figure below is the displacement vs time graph of a small leaf floating in the path of
the water wave in (a).

(i) Determine the frequency of the wave by using the figure 2

(ii) Calculate the speed of the water wave.

11. The figure below is a graph which represents the variation of the displacement, y, with time, t,
as a wave passes a certain point.

(a) Use the graph to find the amplitude of the wave and state the value in metres.

(b) How long does one complete cycle of the wave take? State it in seconds

(c) Calculate the frequency of the wave.

(d) What other information would be needed to calculate the wavelength of the wave?

(e) Copy the diagram above and draw another wave which has the SAME amplitude but
HALF the frequency.
12 The table below shows how the wavelength produced on a stretched string changes as the wave
speed is varied.

Wave Speed, v /m s–1 Wavelength, λ /m

05 0.06

10 0.12

15 0.18

20 0.24

25 0.30

30 0.36

35 0.42

40 0.48

(a) Plot a graph Wave Speed, v versus Wavelength, λ. Draw the curve of best to represent
the data.

(b) Hence, determine the frequency of the wave.