DP IB Physics: SL

Topic Questions

IBPhysics: SLDPTopic Questions4. Waves4.2 Travelling Waves

Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2014

Last exams 2024

|

4.2 Travelling Waves

DownloadView
Easy
Medium
Hard
Easy
Medium
Hard
1
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which statement does not describe the property of travelling waves? 

  • Energy and matter are transferred by travelling waves

  • The direction of motion of a travelling wave is the direction of energy transfer

  • Travelling waves travel away from the source of oscillation

  • The oscillations can propagate through a medium or in a vacuum depending on the type of travelling wave

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

2
Sme Calculator1 mark

The speed of a wave c depends on its frequency f and wavelength λ and is given by the equation:

c = fλ

Identify the correct units for the quantities given in the wave equation.

 

Wave speed c

Frequency f

Wavelength λ

A.

m s−2

J

m

B.

 m s−1

Hz

m2

C.

 m s Hz s−1 ml

D.

 m s−1

Hz

m

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

3
Sme Calculator1 mark

A sound wave has a frequency f of 50 Hz.

Identify the correct expression showing the time period T of the wave.

  • 50 T

  • T over 50

  • 1 over 50

  • 2 × 50

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

4
Sme Calculator1 mark

Identify the example that is not a transverse wave.

  • Sound wave

  • Microwave

  • Water wave

  • Sunlight

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

5
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which of the following gives regions of the electromagnetic spectrum in order of increasing frequency?

  • Gamma ray, visible, radio wave

  • X-ray, microwave, ultraviolet

  • Radio wave, infrared, microwave

  • Infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

6
Sme Calculator1 mark

An electromagnetic wave is generated by a combined oscillation of electric and magnetic fields. These fields oscillate perpendicular to each other and to the direction of the motion of the wave. The diagram shows the oscillations of an electromagnetic wave. The electric field oscillates in plane P. 

4-2-q6-sl-easy-mcq-phy

In relation to the diagram, identify the correct labels for Q and R.

 

Q

R

A.

Motion

Magnetic field

B.

Electric field

Motion

C.

 Magnetic field Electric field

D.

Magnetic field

Motion

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

7
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which of the following has a frequency lower than that of visible light?

  • Ultraviolet

  • Infrared

  • Gamma ray

  • X-ray

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

8
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which frequency of sound wave would a human be able to hear?

  • 2 Hz

  • 200 Hz

  • 200 kHz

  • 2000 kHz

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

9
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which of the following sound waves would give the highest volume?

4-2-q9-sl-easy-mcq-phy

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

10
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which of the following sound waves would produce the highest pitch?

4-2-q9-sl-easy-mcq-phy

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

1
Sme Calculator1 mark

The intensity, I,  of a sound wave is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, d, from the source and directly proportional to the square of the amplitude, A. 

At distance d from the point source of a sound wave, the amplitude of the wave is 6 A.

What is the amplitude at a distance of 3 d?

  • 1 third A

  • 2 A

  • 3 A

  • 6 A

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

2
Sme Calculator1 mark

The diagram shows a cross-sectional view through a water wave travelling from left to right.

4-2-sl-mcq-hard-q2-phy

At which point is the water moving with maximum speed in the upward direction?

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

3
Sme Calculator1 mark

The table below contains the frequencies of various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. 

Which row correctly describes X as infrared and Y as X-rays?

 

X

Y

A.

3 × 105 Hz

3 × 1020 Hz

B.

3 × 1010 Hz

3 × 1016 Hz

C.

 3 × 1018 Hz 3 × 1014 Hz

D.

 3 × 1014 Hz

3 × 1019 Hz

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

4
Sme Calculator1 mark

The diagram shows a wave with a frequency of 25 Hz travelling from left to right.

4-2-sl-mcq-hard-q4-phy

At this particular instant in time, the displacement from the equilibrium position of point X is zero.

What is the shortest time to elapse for the displacement of point Y to be zero?

  • 0.005 s

  • 0.01 s

  • 0.05 s

  • 0.10 s

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

5
Sme Calculator1 mark

The graphs below show the displacement of a wave as a function of time and position.

4-2-sl-mcq-hard-q5-phy

What is a correct expression for wave speed?

  • fraction numerator 2 P Q over denominator 3 end fraction

  • fraction numerator 3 P Q over denominator 2 end fraction

  • fraction numerator 2 Q over denominator 3 P end fraction

  • fraction numerator 3 Q over denominator 2 P end fraction

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

6
Sme Calculator1 mark

The graph shows the displacement, x, of a wave pulse as a function of distance, d. 

4-2-sl-mcq-hard-q6-phy

Which graph correctly shows the displacement of the wave pulse as a function of time, t?

4-2-sl-mcq-hard-q6-ans-phy

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

7
Sme Calculator1 mark

The star Deneb emits EM waves of wavelengths 500 µm, 5 µm, 0.5 µm and 0.005 µm.

Which row correctly identifies the areas of the EM spectrum to which these wavelengths belong?

 

500 µm

5 µm

0.5 µm

0.005 µm

A.

Microwave

Infrared

Visible

Ultraviolet

B.

Radio

Microwave

Infrared

Visible

C.

 Infrared Visible Ultraviolet X-ray

D.

 Microwave

Infrared

Ultraviolet

Gamma

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

8
Sme Calculator1 mark

Visible light has wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 700 nm.

What is the maximum frequency of visible light?

  • 3 × 10−18 Hz

  • 7.5 × 10−18 Hz

  • 3 × 10−16 Hz

  • 7.5 × 1014 Hz

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

9
Sme Calculator1 mark

The diagram shows the positions of three points on a string as a transverse wave travels along it from left to right.

4-2-sl-mcq-hard-q9-phy

Which row correctly shows the velocities of the points on the string?

 

1

2

3

A.

↓

↓

↓

B.

↑

↑

↓

C.

 ↑ ↓ ↑

D.

 ↓

↑

↓

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

10
Sme Calculator1 mark

The diagram below shows a water particle on the crest of a wave in a ripple tank. 

4-2-sl-mcq-hard-q10-phy

Which arrow correctly shows the force acting on the particle?

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

1
Sme Calculator1 mark

A travelling wave has a frequency of 200 Hz. Two consecutive points with a phase difference of straight pi over 2 are 1 cm apart.

What is the speed of the wave?

  • 4 m s–1

  • 8 m s–1

  • 200 m s–1

  • 800 m s–1

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

2
Sme Calculator1 mark

A radio station broadcasts in the frequency range 97-99 MHz.

What range of wavelengths are being used?

  • 3.0 – 3.1 × 10–3 m

  • 3.0 – 3.1 m

  • 0.33 m

  • 0.33 × 103 m

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

3
Sme Calculator1 mark

A longitudinal travelling wave has speed v and wavelength λ. What is the least distance between a compression and a rarefaction measured against the direction of propagation?

  • v

  • v over lambda

  • λ

  • lambda over 2

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

4
Sme Calculator1 mark

A sound wave has a wavelength of 0.40 m. What is the phase difference between two points along the wave which are 1.7 m apart?

  • zero

  • 45°

  • 90°

  • 180°

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

5
Sme Calculator1 mark

Two waves are travelling from the surface of the Sun to the upper atmosphere of Earth.

Which statements must be correct?

  1. The waves have the same frequency
  2. The waves have the same speed
  3. Neither wave is longitudinal
  4. At least one of the waves is audible to humans

  • I and II

  • I, II and III

  • II and III

  • I and IV

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

6
Sme Calculator1 mark

A section of the electromagnetic spectrum is shown. What could the labelled sections represent?

q16_travelling-waves_ib-sl-physics-mcq

 

I

II

III

IV
A. ultraviolet infrared x–rays radio waves
B. blue light red light orange light green light
C. x-rays blue light infrared microwaves
D. gamma waves microwaves infrared visible light

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

7
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which is a possible frequency of visible light?

  • 1.2 × 1014 Hz

  • 2.4 × 1014 Hz

  • 4.8 × 1014 Hz

  • 9.6 × 1014 Hz

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

8
Sme Calculator1 mark

Sound waves can be propagated through fluids and solids. Which statements are correct?

  1. Sound waves have constant speed in air
  2. Thunder always arrives before lighting because of the difference in wave speeds.
  3. Sound waves can be modelled using the equation that v = fλ
  4. Vibrations from an earthquake will be felt in the ground before they are heard, because of the difference in wave speeds

  • I and IV

  • II and IV

  • I, III and IV

  • II, III and IV

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

9
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which cannot be observed with ultrasound?

  • diffraction

  • dispersion

  • polarisation

  • refraction

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

10
Sme Calculator1 mark

Approximately how many times larger is the wavelength of sound waves which are audible to humans greater than the wavelength of light waves which are visible to humans?

  • 102

  • 105

  • 1012

  • 1024

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?