Waves and Wave Interactions

When two transverse waves traveling through a medium meet and exactly coincide, the resulting displacement of the medium...

• is the sum of the displacements of each wave

• is zero

• is always greater than the displacement of eith wave alone

• is always destructive

The material through which a mechanical wave travels is

• a medium

• empty space

• ether

• air

A wave that is produced by a single motion that does not repeat is a _______________ wave.

• transverse

• continuous

• pulse

• compression

The distance between two troughs of a transverse wave is the wave’s

• amplitude

• wavelength

• frequency

• period

A _______________ wave travels through a medium as a series of compressions and rarefactions.

• transverse

• longitudinal

• pulse

• sine

A wave is passing through a uniform medium. As the frequency of this wave increases, its wavelength

• increases

• decreases

• does not change

Suppose you are dangling your foot in a swimming pool, making ripples (waves) by moving your foot up and down. What could you do to make the ripples travel faster through the water?

• move your foot up and down more frequently

• move your foot up and down less frequently

• move your foot up and down more strongly

• none of the above because the medium determines the speed of the wave

What is the amplitude of this wave?

• 0.030

• 0.040

• 0.060

• 0.080

What is the wavelength of the wave?

• 0.030

• 0.080

• 0.160

• 0.240

How many wavelengths are in the diagram?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 1.5