Physics: Waves Test

Find the speed of a wave (in meters/second) whose wavelength is 4 meters and whose frequency is 2.5 Hz. Enter a numerical answer.

10 m/s (4*2.5)

An ocean-going vessel uses sonar to measure the depth of the ocean. If a sound wave sent from the ship bounces off the ocean floor 105.0 m below and returns to the ship after 0.175 seconds, then what is the speed (in m/s) of the sound waves in water? Enter a numerical answer.

1200 m/s (going down and back) (d/t) (105*2)/.175

A wave has a wavelength of 20.0 m and a frequency of 3.00Hz. What is the wave speed? A. 1.50 m/s B. 10.0 m/s C. 50.0 m/s D. 60.0 m/s

60.0 m/s

Transverse Waves

90˚ or Perpendicular

An object that is painted with cyan pigment will be capable of absorbing ___ light. a. Blue b. Red c. Green d. Green and Blue e. Red and Green f. Red and Blue g. Red, Green and Blue h. ... nonsense! Pigments don't absorb light; they produce light.

Blue (absorbs red)

The three primary colors of light are ____. List the three letters in alphabetical order with no commas or spaces between letters. a. Magenta b. Blue c. Cyan d. Red e. Yellow f. Black g. Green h. White i. Brown

Blue, Red, Green

When white light passes through a glass prism, it separates out into different colors. Which of the following best explains why this happens? A. The light is circularly polarized, causing it to spread out when it passes through glass. B. Different wavelengths of visible light refract at different angles when passing from air to glass. C. The light passes through tiny holes in the molecules of glass, causing the light to diffract into different colors. D. White light causes a chemical reaction when it enters glass, causing the glass to emit different colors.

Different wavelengths of visible light refract at different angles when passing from air to glass. (shortest wavelengths refract the most)

If a longitudinal wave is created in a medium that extends horizontally from left to right, then the particles of the medium will vibrate in a ____ direction. a. vertical b. horizontal c. circular d. diagonal (both horizontal and vertical) e. none of these

Horizontal

What happens when a wave travels between media of different densities? A. It changes from a transverse wave to a longitudinal wave. B. It changes from a mechanical wave to an electromagnetic wave. C. It changes color. D. It changes speed.

It changes speed.

A scientist is creating different waves in a laboratory. If she doubles the frequency of a wave while keeping the wave speed constant, what happens to the wavelength of the wave? A. It doubles. B. It is halved. C. There is no change. D. It quadruples.

It is halved. (frequency and wavelength= inversely related-- 2f=1/2o)

Three colored spotlights - red, green and blue - with equal intensities are used to shine white light upon a blue shirt. The shirt appears blue because it absorbs the ____ light and reflects the ____ light. Enter the two letters in their respective order with no commas or spaces between letters. a. Blue b. Red c. Green d. Blue and Green e. Red and Green f. Red and Blue g. Red, Blue, and Green h. No colors are absorbed

Red and Green Blue

Which of the following is a property of all periodic waves? A. They follow a repeating pattern as they propagate. B. They oscillate in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which they propagate. C. They tend to propagate in a circle. D. They always return to the same place.

They follow a repeating pattern as they propagate.

A person observing a flame is interested in the types of electromagnetic waves with slightly shorter and slightly longer wavelengths than visible light. What are these waves? A. Microwaves are shorter and radio waves are longer than visible light. B. X rays are shorter and ultraviolet waves are longer than visible light. C. Ultraviolet waves are shorter and infrared waves are longer than visible light. D. Microwaves are shorter and infrared waves are longer than visible light.

Ultraviolet waves are shorter and infrared waves are longer than visible light.

What are the appropriate hand movements and patterns for a transverse wave?

Up and down or side to side

When the three primary colors of light are mixed with equal intensities, the result will be the color ____. a. Yellow b. Black c. Brown d. Blue e. White f. Cyan g. Magenta h. Red i. Green

White

Determine the result of mixing the following colors of light with equal intensities: Red light mixed with green light produces ____ light. Red light mixed with blue light produces ____ light. Green light mixed with blue light produces ____ light. Red light, green light and blue light mixed together produces ____ light. Enter four letters that fit the blanks in their respective order. Do not place commas or spaces between letters. a. Magenta b. Blue c. Cyan d. Red e. Yellow f. Black g. Green h. White i. Brown

Yellow Magenta Cyan White

An electromagnetic wave is different than a mechanical wave in that an electromagnetic wave _____ (unlike a mechanical wave). a. has a non-measurable speed b. has a constant speed when traveling through a uniform medium c. cannot be described by a wavelength and a frequency d. can travel through a variety of media e. can propagate through a region void of matter f. ... nonsense! None of these describe the differences.

can propagate through a region void of matter (vacuum)

A wave is moving through a medium. A point on the medium is undergoing many up and down oscillations in a short amount of time. This is conclusive evidence that the wave has a relatively large ____. a. amplitude b. wavelength c. speed d. period e. frequency

frequency

When driving down an asphalt road on a sunny day, a mirage effect is often observed. Mirages occur because ______. a. light refracts as is crosses the boundary between air and water b. light from a distant car undergoes reflection off a water puddle in the road c. light undergoes total internal reflection as it reaches a water puddle on the road d. light refracts as it passes from the cool, more dense air into the hotter, less dense air

light refracts as it passes from the cool, more dense air into the hotter, less dense air (has nothing to do with water--- seeing heat waves (convection))

Consider the lens shown at the right. An object is placed between the F' position on the left side of the lens and the lens surface. aa. The image will be ____ in size. a. magnified b. reduced aa. The image will be ____. a. inverted b. upright aa. The image will be ____. a. real b. virtual aa. The image will be located ____. a. between the focal point (F) and the lens b. on the same side of the lens as the object c. beyond the 2F point d. between the focal point (F) and the 2F point e. at the 2F point

magnified upright virtual on the same side of the lens as the object (virtual image cannot be seen-- must trace back... negative)

Interference occurs when a wave ____. a. changes direction when passing from one medium to another b. bounces off a surface c. crosses over a boundary into another medium d. encounters an obstacle in its path e. meets up with another wave traveling in the same medium

meets up with another wave traveling in the same medium

Consider the electromagnetic spectrum. Of the following listed regions of the spectrum, which consists of waves with the LOWEST frequency? a. ultraviolet radiation b. visible light c. microwave radiation d. infrared radiation e. ... nonsense! All of these have the same frequency.

microwave radiation (most wavelength=lowest frequency--- inversely related)

A light wave that is vibrating in a single plane is referred to as being ____. a. monochromatic b. monomagnetic c. monoelectric d. polarized e. unpolarized f. visible

polarized

Arrange the following waves in order of wavelength, from longest to shortest: visible light, X-rays, microwaves, radio waves, infrared rays, ultraviolet waves, gamma rays. A. X-rays, gamma rays, ultraviolet waves, infrared rays, visible light, radio waves, microwaves B. gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet waves, visible light, infrared rays, microwaves, radio waves C. microwaves, radio waves, visible light, infrared rays, ultraviolet waves, gamma rays, X-rays D. radio waves, microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet waves, X-rays, gamma rays

radio waves, microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet waves, Xrays, gamma rays

Consider the lens shown at the right. An object is placed between the 2F' position and the F' position on the left side of the lens. aa. The image will be ____ in size. a. magnified b. reduced c. neither magnified nor reduced aa. The image will be ____. a. inverted b. upright aa. The image will be ____. a. real b. virtual aa. The image will be located ____. a. between the focal point (F) and the lens b. on the same side of the lens as the object c. beyond the 2F point d. between the focal point (F) and the 2F point e. at the 2F point

reduced real inverted beyond the 2F point

Which of the following are not examples of electromagnetic waves? List all that apply in alphabetical order with no commas or spaces between letters. a. visible light b. infrared radiation c. radio waves d. sound waves e. microwave radiation f.. ultraviolet radiation g. ... nonsense! These are all examples of electromagnetic waves.

sound waves (sound waves are not on the electromagnetic spectrum)

The speed of a wave is DEFINED as _____. (The word DEFINED is being emphasized.) a. how rapidly it vibrates up and down (or back and forth) b. the frequency at which a point on the medium vibrates back and forth c. the distance which a crest travels per unit of time d. the wavelength divided by the frequency e. the time it takes for one complete wave cycle to be completed

the distance which a crest travels per unit of time (any speed = distance/time)

White is not really a color. Rather, white can be considered to be ____. a. a frequency of light which lies beyond the red of ROYGBIV b. a frequency of light which lies beyond the violet of ROYGBIV c. the result of an eye malfunction d. the presence of all the colors of light e. the absence of all the colors of light f. ... nonsense! None of these explain the nature of white.

the presence of all the colors of light

The speed of an electromagnetic wave depends primarily upon ____. List all that apply in alphabetical order with no commas or spaces between letters. a. the properties of the medium through which it moves b. the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum from which it originates c. the wavelength of the wave d. the frequency of the wave e. the intensity of the wave f. ... nonsense! The speed of an electromagnetic wave is a constant value and independent of all variables.

the properties of the medium through which it moves (medium=only thing that affects wave speed)

Mac and Tosh are creating waves using a 3-inch zinc-coiled Slinky. If they double the frequency of the waves which they are creating (without any alteration in the medium), then one can be sure that ____. a. the speed will not be changed b. the speed will be halved c. the speed will be doubled d. ...nonsense! One cannot be sure of anything in such an uncertain world.

the speed will not be changed (the medium is the only thing that changes a wave speed)

Constructive interference would occur when a ____. List all that apply in alphabetical order with no commas or spaces between letters. a. trough of one wave interferes with a trough of another wave b. crest of one wave interferes with a trough of another wave c. crest of one wave interferes with a crest of another wave d. none of these

trough of one wave interferes with a trough of another wave crest of one wave interferes with a crest of another wave

Consider the electromagnetic spectrum. Of the following listed regions of the spectrum, which consists of waves with the SHORTEST wavelength? a. ultraviolet radiation b. visible light c. microwave radiation d. infrared radiation e. ... nonsense! All of these have the same wavelength.

ultraviolet radiation