AP® Physics 1
Myers Park High School
Problem Set: Waves and Sound
A. Wave Terminology
1. The ____________________ of a wave is determined by the rate at which the source
produces the wave.
2. Waves that require a medium are ____________________ waves.
3. The ____________________ of a wave is determined by the amount of energy that the
wave carries.
4. The particles vibrate parallel to the direction of energy transmission in
____________________ waves.
5. The time required for one complete cycle is called the ___________________.
6. The particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction of energy transmission in
__________________ waves.
7. The ____________________ of a wave is determined by the material through which it
travels.
8. Sound waves are an example of ____________________ and ____________________
waves.
9. Use the diagram below to identify amplitude and wavelength.
10. The _____________________ is a group of transverse waves that can travel through a
vacuum.
1. frequency
2. mechanical
3. amplitude
4. longitudinal
5. period
6. transverse
7. speed
8. longitudinal;
9. amplitude (D)
10. Elcectro-
mechanical
wavelength
(A)
magnetic
Spectrum
AP® Physics 1
Myers Park High School
Problem Set: Waves and Sound
B. Wave Types
____ 1. waves that require a medium
____ 2. particles vibrate perpendicular to direction of energy transfer
____ 3.
A) longitudinal waves
B) mechanical waves
C) electromagnetic waves
____ 4. waves that do not require a medium
D) transverse waves
____ 5. particles vibrate parallel to the direction of energy transfer
____ 6. sound waves
____ 7. light waves
____ 8. water waves
____ 9.
1. A/B
6. A/B
2. D
7. D/C
3. D
8. D/B
4. C
9. A
5. A
10
C. Wave Parts
_________________________ 10.
_________________________ 11.
14
11
_________________________ 12.
13
_________________________ 13.
_________________________ 14.
_________________________ 15.
10. Compression
13. Rarefaction
12
11. Crest
14. Wavelength
15
12. Amplitude
15. Trough
AP® Physics 1
Myers Park High School
Problem Set: Waves and Sound
D. Wave Motion
1. A fisherman notices that wave crests pass the bow of his boat every 3.0 s. He
measures the distance between two consecutive crests to be 7.5 meters. How fast
are the waves traveling?
2. A particular sound wave in air has a frequency of 262 hertz and travels at 330
m/s. How far apart are the compressions of this sound wave?
3. Calculate the wavelength of a radio wave that has a frequency of 108 MHz.
(Note: All electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light)
4. A sonar signal (sound wave) is sent from a ship at the water’s surface to ocean
floor below. The speed of sound in water is 1400 m/s. The reflected signal is
detected 3.00 s later. How deep is the ocean beneath the ship?
5. What is the wavelength of a 10 MHz ultrasonic sound wave traveling through air
on a day when the temperature is 20oC and the speed of sound is 343 m/s?
6.
Determine the wavelength of a 5,000 Hz sound wave traveling along an iron rod.
(Speed of sound in iron is 3581 m/s.)
7.
On a day when the temperature is 20oC the speed of sound in air is 343 m/s. A
hiker determines the length of a lake by listening for her echo of a shout that is
reflected off a rock cliff at the far end of the lake. She hears her echo 2.5 s after
shouting. Estimate the length of the lake.
8. A fishing boat is floating directly above a school of tuna on a foggy day. About
1.5 km away, an engine on another boat backfires. If air temperature is 25oC, what
is the time difference between the tuna hearing the backfire and the fisherman on
the boat above the tuna hearing the backfire? (Speed of sound in sea water 1396
m/s.)
9. Your buddy Ken is standing 540 m away from you along a concrete sidewalk.
Ken drops a stone on the sidewalk. A moment later you hear two sounds: one
travels through air the other through concrete, what is the time difference between
the two sounds? (Speed of sound in air is 343 m/s and in concrete is 2949 m/s.)
AP® Physics 1
Myers Park High School
Problem Set: Waves and Sound
10. Two wave pulses on a string approach one another at the time t  0, as shown in
the figure below. Each pulse moves with a speed of 1.0 m/s. Make a careful
. s, 2.0 s, 2.5 s, 3.0 s, and 4.0 s,
sketch of the resultant wave at the times t  10
assuming that the superposition principle holds for these waves.
11. Two wave pulses on a string approach one another at the time t  0, as shown in
the figure below. Each pulse moves with a speed of 1.0 m/s. Make a careful
. s, 2.0 s, 2.5 s, 3.0 s, and 4.0 s,
sketch of the resultant wave at the times t  10
assuming that the superposition principle holds for these waves.
1.
4.
7.
10.
10
2.5 m/s
2100m
428.2 m
see diagram below
2.
5.
8.
11.
1.26 m
3.43 x 10-5 m
3.261 s
see diagram below
11
3. 2.78 m
6. 0.7162 m
9. 1.391 s
AP® Physics 1
Myers Park High School
Problem Set: Waves and Sound
12. Two waves, A and B, travel in the same direction in the same medium in the same time.
AP® Physics 1
Myers Park High School
Problem Set: Waves and Sound
13. Two waves, A and B, travel in the same direction in the same medium in the same time.
a. Assume the wave pattern drawn for each wave occurs in 2.5 seconds. What is the
frequency of each wave?
b. What is the speed of each wave?
c. On the grid below, draw the resultant wave produced by the superposition of waves A
and B.
d. What is the maximum amplitude of the resultant wave?
e. What is the wavelength of the resultant wave? )