Name ______________________________________ Date _________
Unit 1 Lesson 2
Lesson WS
Properties of Waves
Choose the letter of the best answer.
1. The speed of a mechanical wave through
a medium depends on the type of medium.
It also depends on the type of mechanical
wave. Which statement is true? P22
A. All waves travel at the same speed
through any medium.
B. All waves travel at the same speed if no
medium is present.
C. Electromagnetic waves require a
medium, but mechanical waves do not.
D. Mechanical waves require a medium, but
electromagnetic waves do not.
2. The diagram below shows a wave pattern.
One wave property that is shown is
amplitude. Amplitude is the vertical
distance from the rest position to either the
crest or the trough of a wave.
Where would the rest position be located in
the diagram? P18
A. E
B. F
C. distance from G to H
D. point that is halfway between G and H
Lesson Quiz
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
4
3. Brianna reported a measurement in units
of hertz. What property of a wave was she
measuring? P19
A. period
B. frequency
C. amplitude
D. wavelength
4. During a thunderstorm, Sanjay saw
lightning and then heard thunder 5 seconds
later. What would be different if the air had
been warmer? P22 – think about it….
A. He would have seen the lightning and
heard the thunder at the same time.
B. He would have heard the thunder before
seeing the lightning.
C. He would have heard the thunder sooner.
D. He would have heard the thunder later.
5. Aimee and Patrick are playing hide-andseek on a summer day. Aimee gives Patrick
a clue to her location by knocking three
times every 30 seconds. Which
characteristic of waves makes this a useful
clue to help Patrick find Aimee? P20-21
A. Wave energy increases with distance.
B. Wave energy decreases with distance.
C. Sound waves travel faster in cold air
than in warm air.
D. Sound waves travel faster in warm air
than in cold air.
Module J • Assessment Guide