Wave Motion Quiz

What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes transverse waves from longitudinal waves?

• Particles vibrate perpendicular to wave direction
• Particles vibrate parallel to wave direction
• Waves can only travel through solids
• Waves cannot transfer energy

In a ripple tank, what do the crests and troughs of water waves represent?

• High and low points of energy
• The speed of the wave
• The frequency of the wave
• The amplitude of the wave

Which of the following statements about wave speed is true?

• It is constant regardless of the medium
• It depends on the frequency and wavelength
• It is always equal to the frequency
• It is always greater in solids than in liquids

If the frequency of a wave increases, what happens to its wavelength in a given medium?

• Wavelength increases
• Wavelength decreases
• Wavelength remains the same
• Wavelength becomes zero

What does the amplitude of a wave represent?

• The speed of the wave
• The maximum displacement from equilibrium
• The distance between two crests
• The time for one complete oscillation

During the reflection of waves, which of the following remains unchanged?

• Speed of the wave
• Wavelength of the wave
• Frequency of the wave
• Direction of the wave

What is the relationship described by the wave equation?

• Wave speed = Frequency × Wavelength
• Wave speed = Amplitude × Frequency
• Wave speed = Wavelength / Frequency
• Wave speed = Frequency / Amplitude

What is the period of a wave?

• The distance between two successive wavefronts
• The time taken for one complete oscillation
• The maximum height of the wave
• The number of waves passing a point per second

When a wave propagates through a medium, what happens to the particles of the medium?

• They move with the wave
• They vibrate in place
• They disappear
• They change the medium

What is the angle of incidence equal to during the reflection of waves?

• Angle of refraction
• Angle of reflection
• Angle of diffraction
• Angle of transmission