ASPhysicsAQAExam QuestionsWavesLongitudinal & Transverse Waves

Longitudinal & Transverse Waves (AQA AS Physics): Exam Questions

Exam code: 7407

3 hours43 questions

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Longitudinal & Transverse Waves

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11 mark

What is the correct definition for the amplitude of a wave?

  • The distance between points on successive oscillations of the wave that are in phase

  • The number of complete oscillations per unit time

  • The maximum displacement of a particle in the wave from its equilibrium position

  • The time taken for one complete oscillation or cycle of the wave

Choose your answer

21 mark

What is the SI base unit of frequency?

  • s–1

  • s

  • m

  • m s-1

Choose your answer

31 mark

The diagram shows two progressive waves.

q3_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

What is the phase difference between the two waves?

  • 0

  • 90°

  • 180°

  • 120°

Choose your answer

41 mark

Which of the following is not an example of a transverse wave?

  • Plucked guitar string

  • Ultrasound wave

  • X-ray 

  • Visible light 

Choose your answer

51 mark

Which statement about polarisation is incorrect?

  • Longitudinal waves can be polarised because they oscillate parallel to the direction of travel

  • Transverse waves can be polarised because they oscillate perpendicular to the direction of travel

  • Once polarised, waves cannot be polarised in another direction

  • Waves can be polarised using a polarising filter

Choose your answer

61 mark

A wave has a frequency of 6 MHz.

What is the time period of the wave?

  • 0. 17 s

  • 0.17 ms

  • 1.7 × 10-10 s

  • 1.7 × 10-7 s

Choose your answer

71 mark

Light of frequency 670 THz has a blue colour.

What is the wavelength of this light?

  • 4.5 × 10–9 m

  • 450 μm

  • 450 nm

  • 2.2 × 106 m

Choose your answer

81 mark

Which line, A to D, in the table below gives the correct units for each of the following wave properties?

 

Speed

Frequency

Wavelength

A

m s–1

Hz

s

B

m s–1

m s–2

m

C

m s–2

Hz

s

D

m s–1

Hz

m

    Choose your answer

    91 mark

    A source emits microwaves of wavelength 5 cm. 

    What is the frequency of the emitted waves?

    speed of light = 3 × 108 m s–1

    • 6 × 109 Hz

    • 6 × 107 Hz

    • 1.6 × 10–7 Hz

    • 1.6 × 10–9 Hz

    Choose your answer

    101 mark

    Which one of the following wave properties do cameras depend on in order to take pictures of objects under the surface of water more clearly?

    • Destructive interference

    • Wave-particle duality

    • Polarisation on reflection from a surface

    • Refraction of light in water

    Choose your answer

    11 mark

    Sound travels with a speed of 330 m s–1 in air.

    The variation of displacement with time of an air particle due to a passing sound wave is shown below.

    q11_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

    Which of the following statements about the wave is correct?

    • the wavelength of the sound wave is 3.3 m

    • the intensity of the wave will be doubled if its amplitude is increased to 2.6 mm

    • the frequency of the wave is 200 Hz

    • the graph shows that this sound wave is a transverse wave 

    Choose your answer

    21 mark

    The graph shows two light waves travelling at the same frequency.

    q12_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

    Which of the following is the phase difference in radians between the two waves?

    • fraction numerator 16 straight pi over denominator 3 end fraction radians

    • fraction numerator 3 straight pi over denominator 4 end fraction radians

    • fraction numerator 3 straight pi over denominator 2 end fraction radians

    •  straight pi over 2radians

    Choose your answer

    31 mark

    A water wave is travelling at 36 m s–1 with a frequency of 20 Hz.

    What is the phase difference, in radians, between two points 2.7 m apart?

    • straight pi

    • 0

    • straight pi over 2

    • fraction numerator 3 straight pi over denominator 2 end fraction

    Choose your answer

    41 mark

    A progressive wave oscillates at a frequency of 40 Hz.

    Two points separated by 0.25 m differ in phase by pi over 4 radians.

    What is the minimum speed of the wave?

    • 40 m s–1

    • 80 m s–1

    • 10 m s–1

    • 20 m s–1

    Choose your answer

    51 mark

    Which statement about polarisers is correct?

    • The intensity of a wave remains constant after passing through a polariser 

    • Only longitudinal waves can be polarised through a polariser

    • The frequency of light increases through a polariser

    • Only unpolarised light can be polarised through a polariser

    Choose your answer

    61 mark

    The diagram shows a wave moving along a rope under tension in the direction shown.

    QJxQM~qW_q16_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

    Which of the following graphs, A to D, correctly shows how the variation of displacement s with time t of the particle K in the rope?

    q16_2_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

      Choose your answer

      71 mark

      What is the frequency, amplitude and period of the wave shown in the graph below, to 2 significant figures?

      q17_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

       

      period / s

      frequency / Hz

      amplitude / m

      A

      0.00436

      230

      0.026

      B

      0.00871

      115

      0.013

      C

      0.005

      200

      0.026

      D

      0.00763

      165

      0.013

        Choose your answer

        81 mark

        Which statement about polarisation is incorrect?

        • Oscillations occur in only one direction perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation after passing through the polarising filter

        • A reflected longitudinal wave can be polarised using a vertical polarising filter

        • When a polarised wave passes through a filter with a transmission axis perpendicular to the wave, none of the wave will pass through

        • Waves can be polarised through a polarising filter which only allows oscillations in a certain plane to be transmitted

        Choose your answer

        91 mark

        Which statement is incorrect about the properties of an unpolarised electromagnetic wave as it passes through a polariser?

        • The wave’s magnetic field oscillates perpendicular to the direction of travel

        • The wave passes through the polariser

        • The intensity of the wave remains constant

        • Oscillations are now restricted to one direction

        Choose your answer

        101 mark

        The diagram shows a snapshot of a progressive wave travelling from left to right.

        q20_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

        At the instant shown, point R is at positive maximum displacement, point S is at zero displacement and point T is at negative maximum displacement.

        Which one of the following diagrams A to D correctly shows the positions of points R, S and T after a quarter of a time period has passed?

        q20-1_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

          Choose your answer

          11 mark

          Speaker J produces pure tone soundwaves of frequency 3000 Hz. Speaker K produces pure tone soundwaves of the same frequency, and is placed 56 cm in front of speaker J.

          q21_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

          What is the phase difference between the two waves measured at point L, 1 m in front of speaker K?

          Sound waves travel in air at a speed of 340 m s–1.

          • 31.2 radians

          • 6.03 radians

          • 0.40 radians

          • 3.61 radians

          Choose your answer

          21 mark

          The wavefunction of a wave can be given in the format

          y =A space sin space open parentheses 2 pi f t space minus space 2 pi x over lambda close parentheses

          where y = the displacement from equilibrium, A = amplitude in m, f = frequency in Hz and t = time in s, x = distance from the origin of the wave in m and λ = wavelength in m, as shown in the image below:

          I-6~9mhl_q22_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

          A wave is travelling along a rope with time period 0.5 s and a speed of 2.5 m s–1.

          At t = 3 s and x = 2, y = 0.176 m.

          What is the value of y when t = 2 and x = 1

          • 0.243 m

          • – 0.097 m

          • 0.285 m

          • 0.050 m

          Choose your answer

          31 mark

          An unpolarised electromagnetic wave passes through 2 polarisers. The second polariser is at a clockwise angle a to the vertical.

          q24_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

          When a = 225o what percentage of the unpolarised light is transmitted through both filters?

          • 25%

          • 50%

          • 12.5%

          • 6.25%

          Choose your answer

          41 mark

          A stone is thrown into a pond, producing spreading ripples across the surface. As the wavefronts move away from the point of disturbance, the intensity of each successive ripple decreases.

          The amplitude of the first ripple is 2.30 cm, and the amplitude of the second ripple is 2.16 cm.

          What is the amplitude of the fourth ripple?

          • 1.39 cm

          • 1.68 cm

          • 1.91 cm

          • 2.03 cm

          Choose your answer

          51 mark

          Cinema 3D glasses have polarising lenses aligned 90o from each other. The left eye contains a horizontal polariser and the right lens contains a vertical polariser.

          q26_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

          A person stands in front of a mirror and closes their left eye.

          How do the glasses appear in the mirror?

          • Both lenses black 

          • The left lens is black

          • The right lens is black

          • Both lenses are clear

          Choose your answer

          61 mark

          A submarine is using ultrasound of frequency 50 kHz to measure the height of objects on the seabed. The submarine encounters object X

          q27_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

          The phase difference between a signal from the seabed and the returned signal from object X is fraction numerator 2 pi over denominator 3 end fraction radians.

          Assuming there is no change of phase when the signals reflect off either the seabed or the object, which of the following heights, A to D, is not a possible height hx of object X?

          The speed of sound in water is 1500 m s–1.

          • 0.5 cm

          • 1 cm

          • 1.5 cm

          • 2 cm

          Choose your answer

          71 mark

          An electromagnetic wave of wavelength 460 nm travels across a boundary between two materials. The speed of the wave in the first material is 2.89 × 108 m s–1.

          The second material is denser than the first, with a refractive index, n, of 1.17. Refractive index is calculated using the equation n = c over c subscript s , where c = the speed of light in a vacuum and cs = the speed of light in the substance.

          Which line, A to D, in the table gives the correct wavelength, frequency and speed of the electromagnetic wave in the second material?

           

          Wavelength/ nm

          Speed/ m s–1

          A

          557

          3.50 × 108

          B

          460

          2.57 × 108

          C

          394

          2.48 × 108

          D

          410

          2.57 × 108

            Choose your answer

            81 mark

            An electromagnetic wave travels in a vacuum at speed c with frequency f and wavelength λ.

            The wave enters a transparent material which results in a change of wavelength to 3 over 4 lambda. The wave travels a distance, d, in the material. Assume d < λ.

            q29_longitudinal-_-transverse-wave_aqa-as-physics-mcq

            What is the phase difference between the refracted ray and an identical wave which travels parallel but never enters the transparent material?

            • fraction numerator 2 pi d over denominator 3 lambda end fraction radians

            • fraction numerator pi d over denominator 2 lambda end fraction radians

            • fraction numerator pi lambda over denominator 2 d end fraction radians

            • fraction numerator pi d over denominator 3 lambda end fraction radians

            Choose your answer

            91 mark

            Two points on a progressive wave have a phase difference of π . The distance between them is 0.45 m, and the frequency of the oscillation is 20 Hz.

            What is the speed of the wave?

            • 9 m s–1

            • 18 m s–1

            • 22 m s–1

            • 36 m s–1

            Choose your answer