Intro to Waves

Which of the following best describes the differences between transverse and longitudinal waves?

• Transverse waves cannot change their wavelength

• Transverse waves vibrate perpendicular to the direction of wave movement; for longitudinal it's parallel.

• Longitudinal waves don't carry energy

• Longitudinal waves vibrate in little circles.

When the frequency of a sound wave is doubled, then:

• both the speed and wavelength double

• the wavelength halves

• the speed halves

• the speed halves and the wavelength doubles

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1

An inventor decided to build the equivalent of a laser using sound waves. He reasons that since all waves have the same characteristics of velocity, wavelength, and frequency, then sound waves can be made to act like light waves. Which statement explains the problem with his reasoning?

• For sound waves, frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional.

• Sound is a longitudinal wave, light is transverse.

• Sound waves travel too quickly.

• Sound cannot be made loud enough.

If you are laying on a raft, and you notice that the number of waves that go past the raft increase, you also find that the distance between each crest ___.

• increases

• decreases

• stays the same

• spreads out

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-1

A wave will travel only as long as it has ___ to carry.

• energy

• mass

• amplitude

• matter

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-1

The speed of sound in ____ is greater than the speed of sound in water.

• the upper atmosphere

• steel

• nitrogen

• water vapor

The way your brain interprets the intensity of a sound is called

• loudness

• pitch

• harmonics

• a scale

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-1

The pitch of a sound made by moving a bow across a violin string is determined by the...

• frequency of the vibration produced

• speed of the bow

• how hard the bow is pressed

• shape of the violin body

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-1

A guitar player is seated next to a piano. The piano player strikes an E key on the piano. The guitarist reports that this causes the E string on his guitar to vibrate. What is the name of this phenomenon?

• polarization

• resonance

• reflection

• diffraction

The distance peak to peak of a repeating wave.

• amplitude

• wavelength

• node

• frequency

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-1