A LevelPhysicsAQAExam QuestionsWavesLongitudinal & Transverse Waves

Longitudinal & Transverse Waves (AQA A Level Physics)

Exam Questions

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Longitudinal & Transverse Waves

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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

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21 mark

What is the SI base unit of frequency?

  • s–1

  • s

  • m

  • m s-1

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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°

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41 mark

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

  • Plucked guitar string

  • Ultrasound wave

  • X-ray 

  • Visible light 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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    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

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    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

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    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 

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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      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

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        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

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        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

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        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

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          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.

          • 3.0 rad

          • 5.9 rad

          • 0.4 rad

          • 3.6 rad

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          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

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          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%

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          41 mark

          A stone is thrown into a pond which produces spreading ripples across the surface. As the wavefronts move away from the stone the intensity drops by 12% for each successive maximum.

          If the initial amplitude is 2.3 cm, what will be the amplitude of the fourth ripple?

          • 3.97 × 10–3 cm

          • 4.77 × 10–4 cm

          • 1.57 cm

          • 1.38 cm

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          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

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          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

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          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

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            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

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            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

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