Physics: Acoustics and Fluid Mechanics

1. A girl on the beach watching water waves sees 4 waves pass by in 2 seconds, each with a wavelength
of

0.5 m. The speed of the waves is

(A) 0.25 m/s

(B) 0.5 m/s

(C) 1.0 m/s

(D) 2.0 m/s

Answer: C

Four waves in 2 s implies 2 waves in 1 s, or a frequency of 2 Hz. Then the speed of the wave is

2. As a wave passes from a spring to another spring with a greater tension,

(A) the speed of the wave decreases

(B) the frequency of the wave increases.

(C) the amplitude of the wave increases

(D) the speed of the wave increases.

Answer: D

Higher tension (tightness) in the spring will allow the wave to move with a higher speed.

3. A wave source of constant frequency sends a wave through a tight string of uniform density with a
speed v and wavelength λ. The tension is then relaxed to half its initial tension. The speed of the wave is
now

(A) 2v

(B) 4v

(C) sqrt(2) times v

(D) 1/sqrt(2) times v

Answer: D
4. A wave source of constant frequency sends a wave through a tight string of uniform density with a
speed v and wavelength λ. The tension is then relaxed to half its initial tension. The wavelength of the
wave is now

(A) 2λ

(B) 4λ

(C) sqrt(2) times λ

(D) 1/sqrt(2) times λ

Answer: D

5. The Doppler effect produces apparent changes in

(A) loudness

(B) frequency

(C) amplitude

(D) velocity

Answer: B

The Doppler effect describes apparent changes in frequency, although the loudness of a wave may also
be changing.

6. A car’s horn emits a constant frequency as it accelerates away from a stationary listener. Which of the
following quantities actually changes for the listener?

I. frequency of the sound

II. pitch of the sound

III. amplitude of the sound

IV. loudness of the sound

(A) I only

(B) I and II only

(C) III and IV only

(D) II and IV only

Answer: D
The frequency and amplitude of the wave do not actually change, but the perception of these (pitch and
loudness) will change according to the listener.

7. In general, the higher the frequency of the interfering waves,

(A) the higher the wavelength

(B) the higher the speed of the waves

(C) the greater the number of nodes and antinodes.

(D) the smaller the number of nodes and antinodes.

Answer: C

More frequency results in more waves interfering with each other, producing more nodes and
antinodes.

8. Diffraction

(A) is the bending of a wave when it changes media

(B) is the reflection of a wave off of a barrier

(C) is the combining of two identical waves moving in the same medium

(D) is the bending of a wave around an obstacle or through an opening

Answer: D

A wave diffracts when it must go around an obstacle or through an opening.

9. Wave A having a wavelength of 2 cm passes through an opening which is 1 cm wide. Wave B has a
wavelength of 4 cm and passes through the same opening at a different time. The angle of spread X for
wave A compared to the angle of spread Y for wave B can be described by

(A) X > Y

(B) Y > X

(C) X = Y

(D) X + Y = 90

Answer: B

The longer wavelength passing through the same opening will have a greater angle of spread.

10. Which of the following is true of a sound which is resonating in a pipe which is closed at one end?
(A) Nodes are formed at both ends of the pipe

(B) Antinodes are formed at both ends of the pipe

(C) An antinode is formed at the closed end of the pipe and a node is formed at the open end.

(D) An antinode is formed at the open end of the pipe and a node is formed at the closed end.

Answer: D

The wave is reflected off the closed end, creating a node at the closed end and an antinode at the open
end.

11. Gauge pressure at a certain depth below the surface of a fluid is equal to

(A) the pressure at the surface of the fluid

(B) the difference between the absolute pressure and the pressure at the surface of the fluid (answer)

(C) the sum of the absolute pressure and the pressure at the surface of the fluid

(D) the absolute pressure

12. The pressure at the surface of the ocean is 1 atm (1 x 10^5 Pa). At what approximate depth in the
ocean water (1025 kg/m^3) would the absolute pressure be 2 atm?

(A) 1 m

(B) 5 m

(C) 10 m (answer)

(D) 100 m

13. A ball weighing 6 N in air and having a volume of 5 x 10^-4 m^3 is fully immersed in a beaker of
water and rests on the bottom. The combined weight of the beaker and water without the ball is 10 N.
The buoyant force acting on the ball is most nearly

(A) 2 N

(B) 3 N

(C) 4 N

(D) 5 N (answer)

14. A ball weighing 6 N in air and having a volume of 5 x 10^-4 m^3 is fully immersed in a beaker of
water and rests on the bottom. The combined weight of the beaker and water without the ball is 10 N. If
the beaker, water, and the ball in the water are placed on a Newton scale, the scale will read
(A) 16 N (answer)

(B) 15 N

(C) 11 N

(D) 10 N

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