WorksheetsWaves Vocabulary
Total questions: 21
Worksheet time: 2hrs 45mins
The diagram above shows a sound wave being produced by a speaker and the density of air molecules as the sound wave travels to a listener’s ear. Each section labeled with an X shows an interval between dense regions of the air molecules.
What wave property does X represent?
amplitude
frequency
velocity
wavelength
When astronauts speak to each other
in space while outside their spaceship, they use radio headsets that rely on electromagnetic waves. Which of the following best explains why radio headsets are used by astronauts to speak with each other in space?
Electromagnetic waves can travel in
a vacuum.
Electromagnetic waves are difficult
to distort.
Electromagnetic waves travel quickly
through air.
Electromagnetic waves require little
energy to generate.
Which graph shows a wave with a frequency of 50 Hz and an amplitude of 4 cm?
Which of the following is an example of
a longitudinal wave?
an infrared wave
a light wave
a microwave
a sound wave
A race begins with two signals: a loud beep and a bright light. Even though the signals are sent at the same time, the people watching the race see the light before they hear the beep. Which of the following best explains the delay between seeing the light and hearing the beep?
Mechanical waves travel at a slower speed than electromagnetic waves.
Mechanical waves have a shorter frequency than electromagnetic waves.
Mechanical waves are greater in reflective strength than
electromagnetic waves.
Mechanical waves are susceptible to more interference than
electromagnetic waves.
The diagram shows a wave moving along a coiled spring.
What type of wave is shown in the diagram?
electromagnetic
longitudinal
refracted
transverse
Which of the following describes a similarity between infrared radiation and radio waves?
They are both transverse waves.
They are both longitudinal waves.
They both require a vacuum to
travel.
They both require a medium to
travel.
The table shows characteristics of four sound waves. Based on the information in the table, which wave has the longest period?
wave W
wave X
wave Y
wave Z
Which of the following best describes the kinds of waves that can be observed on Earth when a star explodes?
Light waves can be observed, but
sound waves cannot be observed
because sound waves are absorbed
by Earth’s atmosphere.
Light waves can be observed, but
sound waves cannot be observed on
Earth because sound waves cannot
travel through space.
Neither light waves nor sound waves
can be observed, because both types
of waves are absorbed by matter
before reaching Earth.
Both light waves and sound waves
can be observed, but the sound
waves take longer to reach Earth
because light travels faster than
sound.
Students are studying how sound travels in different media. The graph below shows the distance that sound travels over a period of time in four different media, W, X, Y, and Z. The media include all three states of matter. Based on the data in the graph, the students calculated the velocities of the sound in the four media.
Which of the following conclusions can the students make based on their calculations?
Medium Z is most likely a gas.
Medium Y is most likely a solid.
Medium W and medium X are most
likely liquids.
Medium W is most likely a gas and
medium X is most likely a liquid.
Which of the following diagrams represents the motion of particles in a transverse wave?
Which of the following describes a difference between electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves?
Only mechanical waves have long wavelengths.
Only mechanical waves require a medium to travel.
Only electromagnetic waves have a range of frequencies.
Only electromagnetic waves transfer energy from one place to another.
The diagram below shows a cell phone inside a glass jar that is sealed and connected to a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump is turned on and removes the air from inside the jar.
Which of the following statements explains what happens when someone calls the cell phone?
The signal does not reach the phone
because sound needs a medium
through which to travel.
The signal does not reach the phone
because the signal needs a medium
through which to travel.
The phone receives the signal and
can be heard ringing because both
the signal and sound can travel
in a vacuum.
The phone receives the signal but
cannot be heard ringing because the
signal can travel in a vacuum but
sound cannot.
A windsurfer moves at 5 m/s while staying on the crest of a wave, as shown below. What is the frequency of the waves if the distance between the two wave crests is 20 m?
0.25 Hz
0.5 Hz
2.5 Hz
4.0 Hz
A seismic wave called a P-wave travels
through the solid part of Earth. In a
P-wave, the solid particles of Earth
move parallel to the direction the
P-wave travels.
P-waves are which of the following
types of waves?
electromagnetic
longitudinal
torsional
transverse
At a given temperature, a longitudinal mechanical wave will travel fastest through which of the following?
a gas
a liquid
a solid
a vacuum
Which of the following statements describes electromagnetic waves?
They have mass.
They are transverse waves.
They require a medium to
propagate.
They travel at varying speeds
through a vacuum.
Waves rock a boat in the middle of
a pond. The boat moves up and down 10 times in 20 s. What is the period of the waves?
0.5 s
2 s
10 s
20 s
A loud alarm attached to a metal fence begins to ring. Student X has her ear against a pole of the fence while student Y stands away from the fence, as shown below. Both students are the same distance from the alarm. Which of the following statements explains what happens in this situation?
Student X hears the alarm first
because sound travels faster in
solids than in gases.
Student Y hears the alarm rst
because sound travels faster in
gases than in solids.
Student X hears the alarm at a
higher pitch because solids are
denser than gases.
Student Y hears the alarm at a
higher pitch because gases are
denser than solids.
The diagram below shows a representation of two different waves. Which of the following classifies wave X and wave Y?
Both waves are transverse.
Both waves are longitudinal.
Wave X is longitudinal and wave Y
is transverse.
Wave X is transverse and wave Y
is longitudinal.
What is similar and dissimilar in the Waves 4, 5 and 6 shown?
They all have the same amplitude but different wavelengths
They all have the same wavelength but different amplitudes
The have different wavelengths and amplitudes
They all have the same wavelength and amplitude
