Name:________________________________________________ Period:______ Date:______________
Wave Phenomena
1.
2.
The fundamental (first harmonic) frequency for a particular organ pipe is 330 Hz. The pipe is closed at
one end but open at the other. What is the frequency of its second harmonic?
A.
110 Hz
B.
165 Hz
C.
660 Hz
D.
990 Hz
Light is diffracted at a single slit. Which of the following graphs best represents how the intensity I of the
diffracted light varies with the diffraction angle θ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
3.
The diagram shows sunlight reflected from a lake surface. The reflected sunlight is plane-polarized.
The plane of polarization of the reflected sunlight is
4.
A.
parallel to the lake surface.
B.
perpendicular to the lake surface.
C.
parallel to the direction of the reflected sunlight.
D.
in the plane of the diagram.
A standing wave is established in air in a pipe with one closed and one open end.
The air molecules near X are
5.
A.
always at the centre of a compression.
B.
always at the centre of a rarefaction.
C.
sometimes at the centre of a compression and sometimes at the centre of a rarefaction.
D.
never at the centre of a compression or a rarefaction.
Light of wavelength λ is emitted by two point sources. The light passes through a circular aperture of
diameter b and is received by an observer. The angular separation of the sources from the observer’s
position is θ. The sources are not resolved by the observer. Which of the following mathematical
relationships applies?
A.
θ < 1.22

b
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B.
θ > 1.22

b
C.
θ = 1.22

b
D.
θ=

b
2
6.
7.
Which of the following statements is true for a standing wave on a string?
A.
No energy is transferred along the string.
B.
The maximum kinetic energy of each segment of the string is proportional to the amplitude of
the segment.
C.
Each segment of the string oscillates with different phase and frequency.
D.
The amplitude along the string varies with time.
Plane-polarized light is incident normally on a polarizer which is able to rotate in the plane
perpendicular to the light as shown below.
–2
In diagram 1, the intensity of the incident light is 8 W m and the transmitted intensity of light is 2 W
–2
m . Diagram 2 shows the polarizer rotated 90° from the orientation in diagram 1. What is the new
transmitted intensity?
A.
–2
0Wm
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B.
–2
2Wm
C.
–2
6Wm
D.
–3
8Wm
3
8.
A radar speed gun is used to measure the speed of a car. The car is moving with speed v away from the
gun.
The radar emits microwaves of frequency f and speed c. Which of the following is the frequency of the
microwaves measured at the gun after reflection by the car?
9.
 2v 
f
 c 
A.
f+ 
B.
f+ 
C.
f– 
D.
f– 
v 
f
c 
 2v 
f
 c 
v 
f
c 
A siren at rest emits a sound of frequency f0. The speed of sound in air is v. The siren moves away from
an observer at rest relative to the siren in a straight line with constant speed vs.
The observer measures a frequency lower than f0 because the
A.
speed at which the sound moves relative to the observer is v – vs.
B.
speed at which the sound moves relative to the observer is vs – v.
C.
wavelength measured by the observer is smaller by a factor
vs
.
v
D.
wavelength measured by the observer is greater by a factor
vs
.
v
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10.
A parallel beam of light with a wavelength 600 nm passes through a single narrow slit and forms a
diffraction pattern on a screen. The angle at which the first diffraction minimum is formed is 2.0 × 10
rad.
–3
What would be the angle of the first diffraction minimum for light of wavelength 400 nm?
11.
12.
A.
3.0 × 10
B.
2.0 × 10
C.
1.3 × 10
D.
1.2 × 10
–3
–3
–3
–3
rad
rad
rad
rad
In a monochromatic liquid crystal display (LCD), such as those used in calculators, the purpose of the
liquid crystal is to
A.
change color from white to black when a segment is to be displayed.
B.
lubricate the small gap between the plates to prevent overheating.
C.
rotate the plane of polarization of the light passing through it.
D.
act as a conducting pathway between the segment electrodes.
The diagram represents a beam of unpolarized light incident on a diamond.
The refractive index of the diamond is n.
At an angle θp, the beam reflected from the diamond is plane polarized normal to the page. The angle
θp is
A.
tan
–1
n.
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B.
tan
–1  1 
 .
n
C.
sin
–1  1 
 .
n
D.
–1  1 
cos   .
n
5
13.
A source S, moving at constant speed, emits a sound of constant frequency. The source passes by a
stationary observer O, as shown below.
Which of the following shows the variation with time t of the frequency f observed at O as the source S
approaches and passes by the observer?
14.
15.
An optically active substance
A.
completely absorbs polarized light.
B.
unpolarizes polarized light.
C.
polarizes unpolarized light.
D.
rotates the plane of polarization.
A man standing by the shore observes sea waves approaching at a frequency of 0.20 Hz. A man on a
boat observes that waves are approaching the boat at a frequency of 0.50 Hz. The speed of the waves is
–1
2.0 m s . Which of the following gives a possible value for the speed of the boat and its direction?
Speed / m s
–1
Direction
A.
3.0
away from the shore
B.
3.0
towards the shore
C.
1.2
away from the shore
D.
1.2
towards the shore
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16.
In two separate experiments monochromatic light is incident on a single slit. The diagrams show the
diffraction patterns obtained on a screen far from the slit. In the top diagram the wavelength of light is
λ1 and the slit width is b1. In the bottom diagram the wavelength of light is λ2 and the slit width is b2.
In each experiment the distance between the slit and the screen is the same. Which of the following
may be deduced?
A.
17.
1
b1

2
b2
B.
1
b1

2
C.
b2
b1 < b2
D.
λ1 > λ2
Two polarizing sheets have planes of polarization that are initially parallel.
The incoming light on sheet 1 is unpolarized. The intensity of the light transmitted is I. To reduce the
intensity to
I
, which sheet must be rotated and through what angle?
2
Sheet to be rotated
Rotation angle
A.
1 only
–1  1 
θ = cos 

B.
2 only
–1  1 
θ = cos  
C.
1 or 2
–1  1 
θ = cos 

D.
1 or 2
–1  1 
θ = cos  
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 2
2
 2
2
7
18.
Horizontally polarized light is transmitted through a polarizer whose transmission axis is horizontal. The
light enters a container with a sugar solution and is then incident on a second polarizer whose
transmission axis is vertical.
When the second polarizer is rotated by a small angle, no light is transmitted through the second
polarizer. The explanation for this observation is that the sugar solution
19.
A.
causes destructive interference.
B.
rotates the plane of polarization of light.
C.
can only transmit vertically polarized light.
D.
refracts light so no light is incident on the second polarizer.
The fundamental (first harmonic) frequency of the note emitted by an organ pipe closed at one end is f.
What is the fundamental frequency of the note emitted by an organ pipe of the same length that is
open at both ends?
A.
f
4
B.
f
2
C.
2f
D.
4f
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20.
The diagram below shows two identical filament lamps separated by a small distance. Light from the
lamps is incident on a narrow slit behind a green filter. The slit is parallel to the filament of each lamp.
A photograph is taken of the lamps through the slit. The images of the filaments on the photograph are
just resolved.
The green filter is replaced by a red filter and then by a violet filter. For each filter a photograph is taken
of the lamps through the slit. Which of the following correctly describes the resolution of the images
using a red and using a violet filter?
Red filter
Violet filter
A.
resolved
resolved
B.
resolved
not resolved
C.
not resolved
resolved
D.
not resolved
not resolved
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9
1.
D
2.
C
3.
A
4.
C
5.
A
6.
A
7.
C
8.
C
9.
D
10.
C
11.
C
12.
A
13.
C
14.
D
15.
A
16.
A
17.
C
18.
B
19.
C
20.
C
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