Tutorial 9: Waves

1) For a periodic process, the number of cycles per unit time is called the
A) amplitude. B) wavelength. C) frequency. D) period. E) pulse.
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-1

2) For vibrational motion, the maximum displacement from the equilibrium point is called the
A) amplitude. B) wavelength. C) frequency. D) period. E) pulse.
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-1

FIGURE 15-1

3) In Fig. 15-1, the wavelength is

A) 8 m.
B) 4 m.
C) 2 m.
D) 1 m.
E) cannot be determined from the given information.
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-1

4) In Fig. 15-1, the frequency is

A) 0.5 Hz.
B) 1 Hz.
C) 2 Hz.
D) 4 Hz.
E) cannot be determined from the given information.
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-1
 FIGURE 15-2

5) Fig. 15-2 shows the displacement of a wave at a given position as a function of time and the displacement of
the same wave at a given time as a function of position. Determine the wavelength of the wave.
A) 2.0 cm B) 3.0 m C) 2.0 m D) 4.0 m E) 1.5 m
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-1

6) Fig. 15-2 shows the displacement of a wave at a given position as a function of time and the displacement of
the same wave at a given time as a function of position. Determine the frequency of the wave.
A) 4.0 Hz B) 0.50 Hz C) 3.0 Hz D) 0.33 Hz E) 0.25 Hz
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-1

7) Four waves are described by the following expressions, where distances are measured in meters and times in
seconds.
I y = 0.12 cos(3x - 21t)
II y = 0.15 sin(6x + 42t)
III y = 0.13 cos(6x + 21t)
IV y = -0.23 sin(3x - 42t)
Which of these waves travel in the +x direction?
A) I and II B) I and III C) II and IV D) I and IV E) II and III
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

8) Four waves are described by the following expressions, where distances are measured in meters and times in
seconds.
I y = 0.12 cos(3x - 21t)
II y = 0.15 sin(6x + 42t)
III y = 0.13 cos(6x + 21t)
IV y = -0.23 sin(3x - 42t)
Which of these waves have the same speed?
A) I and II B) I and III C) II and III D) III and IV E) II and IV
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4
 9) Four waves are described by the following expressions, where distances are measured in meters and times in
seconds.
I y = 0.12 cos(3x - 21t)
II y = 0.15 sin(6x + 42t)
III y = 0.13 cos(6x + 21t)
IV y = -0.23 sin(3x - 42t)
Which of these waves have the same period?
A) I and III, and also II and IV
B) I and IV, and also II and III
C) I and II, and also III and IV
D) All of them have the same period.
E) They all have different periods.
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

10) Consider the wave equation below:

2 z ( x, t ) 2 z ( x, t )
A = B
x 2 t 2

where A and B are positive constants. What is the speed of waves described by this equation?
A) B B) B2/A2 C) 1/ B D) A E) A/ B
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-5

11) A wave pulse traveling to the right along a thin cord reaches a discontinuity where the rope becomes thicker
and heavier. What is the orientation of the reflected and transmitted pulses?
A) both are right side up
B) the reflected pulse returns right side up while the transmitted pulse is inverted
C) the reflected pulse returns inverted while the transmitted pulse is right side up
D) both are inverted
E) It is impossible to predict.
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-7

12) A wave pulse traveling to the right along a thin cord reaches a discontinuity where the rope becomes thinner
and lighter. What is the orientation of the reflected and transmitted pulses?
A) both are right side up
B) the reflected pulse returns right side up while the transmitted pulse is inverted
C) the reflected pulse returns inverted while the transmitted pulse is right side up
D) both are inverted
E) It is impossible to predict.
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-7

13) Two in phase coherent sources emitting harmonic waves of wavelength are separated by a distance d.
What is the minimum non-zero value of d for which constructive interference occurs everywhere along the
line that passes through the locations of the two sources?
A) /4 B) C) 2 D) /2 E) 4
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-8
14) Two in phase coherent sources emitting harmonic waves of wavelength are separated by a distance d.
What is the minimum value of d for which destructive interference occurs everywhere along the line that
passes through the locations of the two sources?
A) /2 B) C) zero D) 2 E) /4
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-8

15) Two wave pulses with equal positive amplitudes pass each other on a string, one is traveling toward the
right and the other toward the left. At the point that they occupy the same region of space at the same time
A) constructive interference occurs.
B) destructive interference occurs.
C) a standing wave is produced.
D) a traveling wave is produced.
E) a wave pulse is produced.
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-8

16) Two wave pulses pass each other on a string. The one traveling toward the right has a positive amplitude,
while the one traveling toward the left has an equal amplitude in the negative direction. At the point that
they occupy the same region of space at the same time
A) constructive interference occurs.
B) destructive interference occurs.
C) a standing wave is produced.
D) a traveling wave is produced.
E) a wave pulse is produced.
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-8

17) In a one-dimensional system, a standing wave is the result of ________

A) two equal amplitude, equal wavelength waves traveling in the same direction.
B) two waves of different amplitude, but equal wavelength traveling in the same direction.
C) two waves of different frequency, but equal amplitude traveling in the same direction.
D) two waves of different frequency, but equal amplitude traveling in opposite directions.
E) two equal amplitude, equal wavelength waves traveling in opposite directions.
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-9

18) The wavelengths corresponding to the harmonics of a string with fixed ends can be found by saying that the
length of the string must be equal to
A) an odd number of quarter-wavelengths.
B) an odd number of third-wavelengths.
C) an odd number of half-wavelengths.
D) an integer number of half-wavelengths.
E) an integer number of wavelengths.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Page Ref:
Sec. 15-9 The vertical displacement of a string is given by y(x,t) = (6.00 mm) cos[(3.25 m-1)x - (7.22 s-1)t]. What is the
period of the wave?
19)
A) 7.22 s B) 1.93 s C) 0.870 s D) 0.308 s E) 0.139 s
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

20) The vertical displacement of a string is given by y(x,t) = (6.00 mm) cos[(3.25 m-1)x - (7.22 s-1)t]. What is the
speed of the wave?
A) 0.450 m/s B) 1.41 m/s C) 2.22 m/s D) 3.16 m/s E) 23.5 m/s
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

21) The vertical displacement of a string is given by y(x,t) = (6.00 mm) cos[(3.25 m-1)x - (7.22 s-1)t]. What is the
amplitude of the wave?
A) 6.00 mm
B) 12.0 mm
C) 3.00 mm
D) 2.00 mm
E) None of the other choices is correct.
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

22) A wave is described by the function y(x,t) = (3.00 cm)cos[( 3.00 m-1)x + ( 4.00 s-1)t]. What is the wavelength
of this wave?
A) 2.09 m B) 3.00 m C) 0.333 m D) 0.250 m E) 1.57 m
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

23) What is the period of a wave described by the following function:

y(x,t) = (2.00 m)cos[(3.00 m-1)x + (5.00 s-1)t]
A) 0.333 s B) 0.200 s C) 5.00 s D) 1.26 s E) 2.09 s
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

25) What is the wavelength of a wave described by the following function:

y(x,t) = (2.00 m)cos[(3.00 m-1)x + (5.00 s-1)t]
A) 2.09 m B) 3.00 m C) 5.00 m D) 1.26 m E) 0.333 m
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4
25) What is the period of a wave described by the following function?
y(x,t) = (2.00 m)cos[(6.00 m-1)x + (10.00 s-1)t] + (2.00 m)cos[(3.00 m-1)x + (5.00 s-1)t]
A) 0.628 s
B) 5.00 s
C) 1.26 s
D) 10.0 s
E) This is not a periodic function, so it does not have a period.
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

26) Periodic waves with a period of 0.026 s travel along a rod at 1200 m/s. What is the wave number k of the
waves?
A) 5.0 m-1 B) 31 m-1 C) 6.9 m-1 D) 0.20 m-1 E) 68 m-1
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-4

33) Two traveling waves have the forms z1 = A sin(kx - t), z2 = A sin(kx + t ) Express their superposition in
the form of a standing wave.
A) 2A cos(kx) cos( t )
B) 2A sin(kx) cos( t )
C) 2A sin(kx) sin( t )
D) A sin[(kx )2 - (t )2]
E) 2A cos(kx) sin( t )
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-9

34) A 60.0-cm long string with a mass 8.00 g has a tension 200 N. What is the fundamental frequency of this
string?
A) 38.7 Hz B) 1500 Hz C) 56.7 Hz D) 102 Hz E) 3.75 Hz
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-9

35) A 2.00-m long piano wire with a mass per unit length of 12.0 g/m is under a tension of 8.00 kN. What is the
frequency of the fundamental mode?
A) 204 Hz B) 102 Hz C) 408 Hz D) 510 Hz E) 153 Hz
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: Sec. 15-9

36) The mass density of platinum is 21.4 103 kg/m3. A platinum wire with a radius of 0.500 mm, 1.20 m long,
fixed at both ends has a frequency of vibration for its third harmonic equal to 512 Hz. What is the tension in
the wire?
A) 4.00 kN B) 2.00 kN C) 2.82 kN D) 1.41 kN E) 1.00 kN
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: Sec. 15-9

37) A guitar string is supposed to have a fundamental frequency 256 Hz. It currently has a fundamental
frequency 248 Hz. What percentage increase in tension is required to bring the guitar string into tune?
A) 3.13% B) 6.56% C) 1.60% D) 6.15% E) 3.23%
Answer: B