GCSE Physics Waves and sound questions by topic

Complete the sentences about waves.

1. (a)In a transverse wave the oscillations are … to the direction of travel.[1]
2. (b)Frequency is measured in …[1]
3. (c)The equation linking speed, frequency and wavelength is v = …[1]
4. (d)A larger amplitude makes a sound …[1]

A wave has a frequency of 40 Hz.

1. (a)State the equation linking period and frequency.[1]
2. (b)Calculate the period of the wave.[2]

Sound and light are both waves.

1. (a)State the type (transverse or longitudinal) of each.[2]
2. (b)Explain one observation that shows sound cannot travel through a vacuum.[2]

A dog whistle produces sound at 25 000 Hz.

1. (a)Explain why a human cannot hear it.[2]
2. (b)State the name for sound above the upper limit of human hearing.[1]
3. (c)Give one use of this type of sound.[1]

A wave of frequency 50 Hz has a wavelength of 3.0 m.

1. (a)State the wave equation.[1]
2. (b)Calculate the wave speed.[2]
3. (c)Calculate the period of this wave.[1]

A student investigates ripples in a tank: 30 ripples pass a marker in 15 s, and a photograph shows the crests are 0.25 m apart.

1. (a)Calculate the frequency of the ripples.[2]
2. (b)Calculate the speed of the ripples.[2]
3. (c)State one measurement error that could affect the wavelength, and how to reduce it.[2]

A student claps two boards and times the echo from a large wall as 0.60 s (speed of sound 340 m/s).

1. (a)Explain why the sound travels twice the student–wall distance.[2]
2. (b)Calculate the distance to the wall.[3]

A displacement–distance graph of a wave shows the crest 0.4 cm above the rest line, adjacent crests 8.0 cm apart, and 6 waves passing a point each second.

1. (a)State the amplitude.[1]
2. (b)State the wavelength in metres.[2]
3. (c)Calculate the wave speed.[3]

An ultrasound bat detector converts bat calls so they can be heard. One call has frequency 42 kHz and travels at 340 m/s in air.

1. (a)Explain why humans cannot hear the call directly.[2]
2. (b)Calculate the wavelength of the call.[3]
3. (c)The call reflects from a moth 1.7 m away. Calculate the time before the echo returns.[2]

Earthquakes produce P-waves and S-waves that travel through the Earth. A seismometer 140° around the globe from an earthquake records P-waves but no direct S-waves.

1. (a)State the difference between P-waves and S-waves in terms of oscillations.[2]
2. (b)Explain what the missing S-waves show about the Earth’s structure.[4]
3. (c)State what P-wave behaviour adds to this picture.[2]

A student measures waves on a stretched string driven by a vibration generator. Clear standing waves appear when the generator is set to 12 Hz; the string then shows a wavelength of 0.60 m.

1. (a)Calculate the wave speed on the string.[2]
2. (b)The student tightens the string and the speed rises to 9.0 m/s at the same 12 Hz. Calculate the new wavelength.[3]
3. (c)Explain why tightening the string changes the wave speed.[2]

A naval sonar sends an ultrasound pulse of frequency 60 kHz into seawater (speed 1 500 m/s). The echo from a submarine returns 0.40 s later.

1. (a)Calculate the wavelength of the pulse in seawater.[3]
2. (b)Calculate the distance to the submarine.[3]
3. (c)Explain one reason sonar uses ultrasound rather than audible sound.[2]