Lesson 2: Properties of Waves

Amplitude is the ___ the crests or troughs of a wave.

• size of

• pattern of

• number of

• distance between

For a mechanical wave, amplitude describes

• the amount of energy that is created by a single wave.

• the total distance a particle moves before a wave dies out.

• how far a particle moves before returning to where it started.

• the total amount of troughs and crests created during a wave cycle.

For a transverse wave, amplitude is the _______ of the wave.

• height

• length

• pattern

• shape

Which of these statements is true of periodic waves?

• The height of a crest is equal to the depth of a trough.

• The amplitude of a periodic wave is measured from crest to crest

• The amplitude of any wave is equal to the wavelength of any wave.

• The amplitude of a periodic wave is measured from trough to trough.

Which of these statements is NOT true of sound waves?

• A soft sound has a small amplitude.

• A loud sound has a large amplitude.

• A soft sound has a large amplitude.

• A loud sound has rarefactions that are less compressed.

Wavelength is the distance between the start of one wave cycle and the

• top of the next crest.

• bottom of the next trough.

• end of the next wave cycle.

• start of the next wave cycle.

How would you measure the wavelength of a wave?

• Measure from the trough of a wave to its crest.

• Measure from the crest of a wave to its trough.

• Measure from the crest of a wave to the trough of the next wave cycle.

• Measure from any part of the wave to the corresponding point in the next wave cycle.

The wavelength is the length of one S-shape for

• periodic waves.

• longitudinal waves.

• transverse waves.

• mechanical waves.

Knowing the wavelength and amplitude of a wave allows you to describe

• the distance the wave will travel.

• the point at which the wave was created.

• the shape and repeating pattern of a wave.

• how many wave cycles have occurred in the past hour.

What does the wavelength of a longitudinal wave tell you?

• the decibel level of the sound

• how close together the compressions are

• the location at which the sound was made

• the number of compressions there are in a wave cycle