Name: __________________________________
Worksheet 3
Vibrations and Waves
Section 3: Properties of Waves
Write the letter of the correct answer in the space provided.
_____ 1. The material through which a mechanical wave travels is
a. a medium.
b. empty space.
c. ether.
d. air.
_____ 2. When a transverse wave passes through water, water molecules are
displaced
a. permanently in the direction of the wave motion.
b. permanently in a direction perpendicular to the wave.
c. temporarily in the direction of the wave motion.
d. temporarily in a direction perpendicular to the wave.
_____ 3. A wave that is produced by a single motion that does not repeat is a
_______________ wave.
a. transverse
b. continuous
c. pulse
d. compression
_____ 4. The distance between two troughs of a transverse wave is the wave’s
a. amplitude.
b. wavelength.
c. frequency.
d. rarefaction.
_____ 5. A _______________ wave travels through a medium as a series of
compressions and rarefactions.
a. sine
b. longitudinal
c. pulse
d. transverse
_____ 6. A wave is passing through a uniform medium. As the frequency of this
wave increases, its wavelength
a. depends on amplitude.
b. decreases.
c. increases.
d. does not change.
Haroon Iqbal / MSIS, Al Khobar / 050 470 3815
Name: __________________________________
Vibrations and Waves continued
_____ 7. Suppose you are dangling your foot in a swimming pool, making
ripples (waves) by moving your foot up and down. What could you do
to make the ripples travel faster through the water?
a. move your foot up and down more frequently
b. move your foot up and down less frequently
c. move your foot up and down more strongly
d. none of the above
_____ 8. The amplitude of a mechanical wave determines how much
________________ the wave transfers per unit time.
a. energy
b. air
c. wavelength
d. matter
9. Suppose a wave travels at a velocity, vA, in medium A and a greater velocity,
vB, in medium B. If wave motion travels from medium A into medium B, how
will the frequency and wavelength change? Explain your reasoning.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
10. What is the wavelength of a radio wave from an FM station that broadcasts at
a frequency of 95.5 MHz? The speed of electromagnetic waves in space is
3.00  108 m/s.
Haroon Iqbal / MSIS, Al Khobar / 050 470 3815
Name: __________________________________
Worksheet 3
Vibrations and Waves
Answers
11 Vibrations and Waves
PROPERTIES OF WAVES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
a
d
c
b
b
b
d
a
The frequency does not change because it is
determined by the source of the wave
motion. Therefore, the wavelength increases
because the velocity increases.
10. 3.14 m
Given
f = 95.5 MHz = 9.55  107 Hz
v = 3.00  108 m/s
Solution
v 3.00  108 m/s
= =
=3.14 m
f 9.55  10 7 Hz

Haroon Iqbal / MSIS, Al Khobar / 050 470 3815