wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Waves Test

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What does a wave carry from place to place?

a)

energy

b)

matter

c)

people

2.

Waves that can travel through empty space are called _____ waves. Waves that require a medium to travel, such as air or water, are called _____ waves.

a)

mechanical, electromagnetic

b)

electromagnetic, mechanical

c)

crest, trough

d)

compressional, rarefactional

3.

In a longitudinal wave, a ____ is an area where the particles are spread apart and a ____ is an area where the particles are close together.

a)

crest, trough

b)

compression, rarefaction

c)

rarefaction, compression

d)

trough, crest

4.

In this diagram of a transverse wave, A is showing the wave's _____ and B is showing the wave's _____.

a)

amplitude, trough

b)

amplitude, crest

c)

wavelength, trough

d)

wavelength, crest

5.

In this diagram of a transverse wave, C is showing the wave's _____ and D is showing the wave's _____.

a)

crest, amplitude

b)

trough, amplitude

c)

crest, wavelength

d)

trough, wavelength

6.
Any material that a wave travels through is called a ____________________.
a)
vibration
b)
compression
c)
medium
d)
crest
7.

The number of waves passing a point in a certain amount of time is the _____.

a)

frequency

b)

amplitude

c)

wavelength

d)

compression

8.

When you yell in the hallway, some of the energy in the sound waves bounces back.


This is an example of _____.

a)

refraction

b)

reflection

c)

transmission

d)

absorption

9.
The longer the _____________  the ______________ the frequency.
a)
wavelength, lower
b)
wavelength, higher
c)
amplitude, lower
d)
amplitude, higher
10.

Which has longer wavelengths, radio waves or visible light waves?

a)

radio waves

b)

visible light waves

c)

They both have the same wavelength.

11.

How are Electromagnetic (EM) waves different from Mechanical waves?

a)

EM waves have very short wavelengths

b)

EM waves transmit energy instead of matter

c)

EM waves can travel through the vacuum of space (without particles)

d)

EM waves can change direction by reflection

12.

What is the description for visible light?

a)

has the least amount of energy

b)

causes skin to tan

c)

allows you to see

d)

can see broken bones

13.
The color you see is the color that is ___.
a)

reflected

b)

absorbed

c)

refracted

14.
Light bending as it passes through a rain drop is an example of...
a)

Refraction

b)

Reflection

c)

Absorption

d)

Transmission

15.
The visible spectrum consists of the 
a)

shortest electromagnetic wavelengths

b)

longest electromagnetic wavelengths

c)

colors, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet

d)

colors red, white, black, yellow and blue

16.
Which of the waves below travel fastest through air? 
a)
light waves
b)
water waves
c)
seismic waves
d)
sound waves
17.

The illustration shows the path of a laser leaving a laser pointer. At what point is the laser being absorbed?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

18.

To soak up or take something in

a)

Light

b)

Transmitted

c)

Light Path

d)

Absorbed

19.

A beach ball is floating on the ocean surface far from the shore. Ocean waves cause the beach ball to move. Which of the following best describes this motion of the beach ball?

a)

forward

b)

back and forth

c)

up and down

d)

sideways

20.

An alarm clock is put in a jar while it is going off. The air inside the jar is removed to make a vacuum. Which answer below describes what would happen after the air is removed.

a)

The alarm clock would stop ringing and break

b)

The alarm clock would still look like it is ringing, but there would be no sound

c)

The alarm clock would still be ringing, but the sound would be quiet

d)

Nothing would change

21.

Which wave has a higher pitch?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

Both waves have the same pitch.

22.

Which wave represents a louder volume?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

Both waves have the same volume.

23.

In movie theaters, they build the walls between theaters with materials that block the sounds from traveling to the next theater. What material would be BEST?

a)

Materials that transmit sound waves.

b)

Materials that absorb sound waves.

c)

Materials that reflect sound waves

24.

This lake's water is so calm that it looks like a huge mirror on the ground. What property of light creates this optical illusion?

a)

Refraction

b)

Reflection

c)

Transparency

d)

Opaqueness

25.

The student looks out the window and clearly sees other students outside. What is happening to MOST of the light that hits the window from the outside?

a)

The light is being absorbed.

b)

The light is being reflected.

c)

The light is being transmitted.

d)

The light is being scattered.

26.

This is a real picture of a polar taken at a zoo. Fortunately for the polar bear, its head is actually connected to its body. Why does it look like the head is separate from the body?

a)

Light waves are bouncing as they pass from air to water.

b)

Light waves are not passing from the air to the water.

c)

Light waves are traveling in a straight line as they pass from air to water.

d)

Light waves are bending as they pass from air to water.

27.

What image show light being transmitted?

a)
b)
c)
28.

Sound waves can travel through:

a)

solids

b)

liquids

c)

gasses

d)

all of these

29.
Sound is caused by ___.
a)
energy
b)
a wave
c)
a medium
d)
vibrations
30.

What is another name for a compressional wave?

4 lines