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SACE (South Australia) Waves and Their Properties — practice questions

Explore 8 free Waves and Their Properties questions in SACE (South Australia) Physics. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Waves and Their Properties questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–8 of 8.

In the simplified sine-wave picture of a water wave, what are the uppermost and lowest positions of the wave called, respectively?Read the answer and worked solution →How are sound waves travelling through air and through water classified?Read the answer and worked solution →For a wave, period is defined most precisely as what?Read the answer and worked solution →A woman shakes a toy spring up and down, creating two complete waves every second. What is the period of each wave?Read the answer and worked solution →A wave has a frequency of 10 Hz. What is its period?Read the answer and worked solution →A boat sitting in the trough of a wave takes 3 seconds to reach the highest point of the wave, and the wave's velocity is 5 m/s. What is the wavelength of the wave?Read the answer and worked solution →The time difference between a 2 km/s S-wave and a 6 km/s P-wave recorded at a monitoring station is 10 seconds. How far away is the earthquake's epicenter?Read the answer and worked solution →Two identical waves, each with amplitude 3.0 m, arrive at the same point in pure constructive interference. What is the amplitude of the resultant wave?Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

In the simplified sine-wave picture of a water wave, what are the uppermost and lowest positions of the wave called, respectively?

  1. Node and antinode
  2. Amplitude and wavelength
  3. Crest and trough
  4. Frequency and period
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Correct answer: C. Crest and trough

1. The uppermost position of the wave is called the crest. 2. The lowest position of the wave is called the trough. 3. Node, antinode, amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and period are all separate wave properties, not names for these two positions. _Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 13 "Waves and Their Properties", section Pulse Waves and Periodic Waves_

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How are sound waves travelling through air and through water classified?

  1. As purely transverse waves
  2. As standing waves only
  3. As longitudinal waves
  4. As pulse waves only
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Correct answer: C. As longitudinal waves

1. Sound waves in air and water are longitudinal. 2. Their disturbances are periodic variations in pressure transmitted through the fluid. 3. A periodic pressure variation is not the same as a standing wave or a one-off pulse. 4. So the correct classification is longitudinal, not transverse, standing, or pulse. _Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 13 "Waves and Their Properties", section Longitudinal Waves and Transverse Waves_

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For a wave, period is defined most precisely as what?

  1. The number of waves passing by a specific point per second
  2. The distance between the resting position and maximum displacement
  3. The time it takes for one wave cycle to complete
  4. The distance between adjacent identical parts of the wave
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Correct answer: C. The time it takes for one wave cycle to complete

1. For waves, period is the time it takes for one wave cycle to complete. 2. Number of waves per second describes frequency, not period. 3. Distance to maximum displacement describes amplitude, not period. _Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 13 "Waves and Their Properties", section Wave Variables_

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