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AP Physics 1 Oscillatory Motion and Waves — practice questions

Explore 20 free Oscillatory Motion and Waves questions in AP Physics 1 Physics. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Oscillatory Motion and Waves questions and exercises with answers

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The time to complete one full oscillation is called the:Read the answer and worked solution →The SI unit for frequency, one cycle per second, is the:Read the answer and worked solution →The maximum displacement from equilibrium in an oscillation is called the:Read the answer and worked solution →Oscillatory motion where the net force follows Hooke's law is called:Read the answer and worked solution →The force that pulls an oscillating object back toward equilibrium is the:Read the answer and worked solution →A simple harmonic oscillator can be used as a clock because its period is:Read the answer and worked solution →Making an oscillating object stiffer, that is raising its force constant, makes the period:Read the answer and worked solution →Amplitude is measured in metres for a mass on a spring, but for sound oscillations it is measured in units of:Read the answer and worked solution →A simple pendulum behaves as a simple harmonic oscillator only for amplitudes that are:Read the answer and worked solution →The only two things that affect the period of a simple pendulum are gravity and its:Read the answer and worked solution →A car settling when someone gets in would keep oscillating if it were not for damping supplied by:Read the answer and worked solution →For a mass on a spring, the acceleration is obtained from the force using:Read the answer and worked solution →A vibration differs from an oscillation in that a vibration may be:Read the answer and worked solution →If all the work done in deforming an object goes into deformation alone, that work is stored as:Read the answer and worked solution →Two pendulums differing only in the mass of the bob will:Read the answer and worked solution →Match each oscillation termRead the answer and worked solution →Affects a pendulum's period?Read the answer and worked solution →True or false: oscillationsRead the answer and worked solution →Follow one oscillation cycleRead the answer and worked solution →Complete the pendulum ruleRead the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

The time to complete one full oscillation is called the:

  1. The period
  2. The amplitude
  3. The frequency
  4. A wavelength
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Correct answer: A. The period

1. A repeating motion is described by how long one repeat takes. 2. The time to complete one oscillation remains constant and is called the period. 3. Frequency counts how many oscillations happen per second instead. 4. The word period refers to the time for some event, whether repetitive or not. _Source: OpenStax College Physics for AP(R) Courses 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 16 'Oscillatory Motion and Waves', sections 16.1-16.11_

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The SI unit for frequency, one cycle per second, is the:

  1. Hertz
  2. Newton
  3. Joule
  4. Pascal
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Correct answer: A. Hertz

1. Frequency counts complete oscillations in each second. 2. The SI unit for frequency is the cycle per second, which is defined to be a hertz. 3. A cycle is one complete oscillation. 4. Newtons, joules and pascals measure force, energy and pressure instead. _Source: OpenStax College Physics for AP(R) Courses 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 16 'Oscillatory Motion and Waves', sections 16.1-16.11_

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The maximum displacement from equilibrium in an oscillation is called the:

  1. The wave node
  2. The amplitude
  3. The full period
  4. The wave phase
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Correct answer: B. The amplitude

1. An oscillator swings out to a furthest point on each side. 2. The maximum displacement from equilibrium is called the amplitude. 3. Because amplitude is the maximum displacement, it is related to the energy in the oscillation. 4. Period measures time rather than distance. _Source: OpenStax College Physics for AP(R) Courses 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 16 'Oscillatory Motion and Waves', sections 16.1-16.11_

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