WAVES

1. The diagram shows the shape of a wave

on a stretched rope at one instant of time.
The wave is travelling to the right.

Determine the wavelength of the wave.

Mark on a copy of the diagram a point on
the rope whose motion is exactly out of
phase with the motion at point A.
Label this point X. Mark on the diagram a point
on the rope which is at rest at the instant
shown. Label this point Y.

Draw an arrow on the diagram at point C to show the direction in which the rope at C is moving at the
instant shown. [4]

The wave speed is 3.2 m s
-1
. After how long will the rope next appear exactly the same as in the diagram
above? [2]

2. Diagram (i) represents part of a stretched spring. Diagram (ii) represents the same section of the spring
at one instant of time when a sinusoidal longitudinal wave is travelling along it.


Use the diagram (ii) to determine the wavelength of the longitudinal wave. [1]
The wave speed is 2.00 m s
-1
. Calculate the frequency of this wave. [1]
Describe qualitatively the motion of an individual coil of this spring as the longitudinal wave
travels along the spring. [3]

3. The diagram shows the shape of a wave
on the surface of a tank of water at one instant
of time. The wave is travelling to the right.






On the diagram
(a) mark a point on the water surface whose motion is exactly 180o out of phase with the
motion at X. Label this point A,
(b) draw an arrow at point Y to show the direction in which the water at Y is moving at
the instant shown,
(c) mark a point on the water surface that is at rest at the instant shown. Label this point B.

4. In the diagram, line X represents the equilibrium positions of a line of molecules in a solid.
A sound wave of wavelength and frequency f passes through the solid from left to right.
Line Y represents the positions of the same molecules at a time t.



(a) Explain how the diagram shows that the wave is longitudinal.
(b) On line Y
(i) identify two compressions and label them C;
(ii) identify two rarefactions and label them R;
(iii) label the wavelength of the wave.
(c) The period of the wave is T.
On the line Z mark the positions of two compressions at a time t + T and label them P.

5. A stationary wave is produced on a stretched string by a vibration generator attached to one end. The
graph shows part of the wave. The two full lines represent the extreme positions of the string.

State the wavelength of this wave. [1]
Mark a letter A on a copy of the graph to label an anti node. [1]
The stationary wave is formed by the superposition of two waves travelling along the string in opposite
directions. The frequency of the vibrator is 36.0 Hz.
Calculate the speed of the travelling waves. [2]











State the phase relationship between the two travelling
waves at an antinode. [1]
Determine the amplitude of each of the travelling waves. [1]

6. A stationary wave of amplitude 4.0 cm is produced by the superposition of two progressive waves
that travel in opposite directions.


(a) Define the term amplitude. (1)


(b) The graph shows the
position of the stationary
wave and of one of the two
progressive waves at a
particular instant. Apply
the principle of superposition
to determine displacement
of the other progressive wave
at positions A, B and C on
the distance axis at this same
instant.
(3)


Plot these displacement values on the graph.
Hence draw one complete wavelength of this progressive wave.

7 (a) Explain what is meant by the term transverse wave. You may wish to illustrate your answer
with the help of a diagram.

(b) State two differences between a stationary wave and a progressive wave.

(c) Spiders are almost completely dependent on vibrations transmitted through their webs
receiving information about the location of their prey. The threads of the web are under tension.
When the threads are disturbed by trapped prey, progressive waves transverse waves are
transmitted along the sections of thread and stationary waves are formed.
Early in the morning droplets of moisture are seen evenly spaced along the thread when prey has
been trapped.



(i) Explain why droplets form only at these points.
(ii) The speed of a progressive transverse wave sent by trapped prey along a thread is 9.8cm s
-1
.
Calculate the frequency of the wave.

8. The cello is a stringed musical instrument that may be played either by stroking the strings with a bow
or by plucking the strings with the fingers.

1cm

(a) One of the attached strings on the cello has a vibrating length of 0.80 m.
The string is made to oscillate as a stationary wave by means of a bow and the following pattern of
oscillations is seen. The position of the string at two different times is shown.












(i) Explain how the movement of the bow causes this wave pattern. (3)

(ii) Using the diagram calculate the wavelength of the wave. (2)

(iii) State two differences between the wave on the string and the sound wave it produces. (2)


(b) The cello string is then plucked and the waveform
of the resulting sound is analysed by an oscilloscope.
It is found to consist of two frequencies of different
amplitudes. The frequency spectrum is shown opposite.
The waveform of the 200 Hz wave has been drawn on
the axes below opposite. On a copy of the same axes
sketch the waveform of the 1000 Hz wave. (2)


9. Two students demonstrate standing waves to the rest of the class using a rope.
The diagram shows the appearance of the standing wave on the rope at one instant.
Each part of the rope is at its maximum displacement.

(a) (i) Mark the position of one node on the diagram.
(b) Label this point N.
(ii) The arrow at point X shows the direction in which the
point X is about to move.
Add arrows to the diagram to show the directions in which
points Y and Z are about to move.

(b) The frequency of the vibration shown in the diagram is 1.5 Hz. When a rope is vibrating with its
fundamental frequency there is one anti node. Calculate the fundamental frequency of this wave.

10. A student is investigating the physics of an electric guitar. When a string on a guitar is plucked, a
standing wave is produced with one antinode. The student finds that the speed of a wave, v, in a stretched
string is given by v= T/ where T is the tension in the string and is the mass per unit length of the
string.

The student decides to measure the diameters of the strings and the frequency of the fundamental note
produced when each string is plucked. She then constructs a spreadsheet to record these results and to
calculate v, and T for each string.
The strings are made of a material of density (mass per unit volume) 7800 kg m
3.




(a) (i) The formula to calculate the value of cell C3 is = 2*A3*B3. Explain why this is the correct
formula.
(ii) Write the formula to calculate the value of cell E3.
(iii) Write the formula to calculate the value of cell F4.
(iv) Hence calculate the value of cell F3.
(v) Calculate the value of cell G6.

(b) The student decides to verify the equation v= T/ by using one string. She removes a string from
the guitar and clamps one end in a support. She varies the tension by hanging known weights on the other
end of the string. The speed of the wave is calculated from the length of the string and the measured
frequency of the fundamental note when the string is plucked. Describe how the student could use a graph
to verify the equation.

11. A sonic tape measure uses ultrasound to measure distances in buildings. It sends out pulses of
ultrasound towards a distant wall and records the time interval between a pulse being sent and its return.










(a) For one particular measurement the time interval was 25 ms.
Calculate the distance from the sonic tape measure to the wall. Speed of sound = 330 m s1
(b) Why is the ultrasound transmitted in pulses?

12. Two parallel rays of light, one blue, one red, are travelling in air and are incident on one
side of a glass prism. The blue light passes into the prism and meets the second face at
the critical angle as shown in the diagram.











(a) Add to the diagram the path of the blue light after it meets the second face. Label this path X.
(b) (i) The speed of blue light in the glass prism is 1.96 10
8
m s1.
Calculate the refractive index of this glass for blue light.
(ii) Calculate the critical angle for blue light in this glass prism.

(c) The refractive index of this glass for red light is less than for blue light. Add to the diagram to
complete the path of the red light through the prism. Label this path Y.
12. A student carries out an experiment to
measure the refractive index of glass. She does
this by shining a ray of light through a
semicircular glass block and into the air as
shown.

(a) Calculate the refractive index from air to glass ag.




(b) (i) The student steadily increases the angle x in glass and finds that eventually the light does not pass
into the air. Explain this observation.
(ii) Calculate the largest value of angle x that allows the light to pass out of the block into the air.

13. A diagram shows the structure of a compact disc. A laser light beam is directed at right
angles to the underside of the disc.



The wavelength of the laser light in the transparent plastic layer is 414 nm refractive index of the
transparent plastic layer = 1.53

(a) (i) Calculate the wavelength of the light in air.

(ii) Light reflected from point A is 180
0
out of phase with light reflected from point B.
Calculate the minimum vertical distance from A to B.
(iii) Explain the effect when the light reflected from A and B is combined.

(b) Some of the reflected light will not hit the plastic-air boundary at 90
0
.
(i) Calculate the critical angle of the plastic-air boundary.
(ii) On the diagram below, show what happens to a ray of light which hits the plastic-air boundary at
point P at an angle greater than the critical angle.








14. The diagram is a plan view of an experiment
to measure the wavelength of microwaves.
As a microwave detector is moved around the
arc from A to B, alternate maxima and minima
of intensity are observed. Explain why. [4]

A maximum is observed at point O, and the
next maximum at point X. By means of suitable
measurements on the diagram, determine the
wavelength of the microwaves.
NOTE: In the experiment the slits are
exactly 2. 4 cm wide

A teacher demonstrating this experiment finds
that, even at the maxima, the wave intensity is
small. A student suggests making the slits wider
to let more energy through. Explain why this
might not be a good idea. [2]

For an interference pattern to be observed
between waves from two sources, the sources
must be coherent. Explain what is meant by
coherent, and what makes the two sources in
this experiment coherent.

15. A laser emits green light of wavelength 540 nm.
The beam is directed onto a pair of slits as shown.
The light from the two slits superposes on the
screen forming an interference pattern. Calculate
the fringe separation.
Without any further calculation, state what would
happen to the fringe separation if, separately,
(i) the slit separation were reduced,

(ii) the distance from the slits to the screen were increased,
(iii) the laser were replaced with one which emitted red light.