Trivia Questions On Waves! Quiz
A wave can be described as a disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another. A wave is the propagation of disturbances from place to place in a regular and organized way. The most familiar are surface waves that travel on water. If you want to become an expert about waves, complete this quiz.
- 1.The energy of a wave is directly related to its
- A.
Amplitude.
- B.
Wavelength.
- C.
Frequency.
- D.
Speed.
- 2.The substance through which a wave travels is called a
- A.
Source.
- B.
Trough.
- C.
Disturbance.
- D.
Medium.
- 3.The seismic waves that travel the fastest are
- A.
Surface waves.
- B.
S waves.
- C.
P waves.
- D.
Tsunamis.
- 4.All waves with a frequency of 100 hertz.
- A.
Travel 100 meters in one second.
- B.
Measure 100 meters from crest to crest.
- C.
Complete 100 vibrations in one second.
- D.
Measure 100 meters from crest to trough.
- 5.A wave that moves a medium at right angles to the direction in which the wave travels is a
- A.
Longitudinal wave.
- B.
Mechanical wave.
- C.
Transverse wave.
- D.
Seismic wave.
- 6.To increase the amplitude of vibrations, you can adjust the frequency to
- A.
Match the natural resonant frequency.
- B.
Be greater than the natural resonant frequency.
- C.
Be less than the natural resonant frequency.
- D.
Cancel the natural resonant frequency.
- 7.Which of the following accurately describes surface waves?
- A.
Surface waves are a combination of a longitudinal wave and transverse wave.
- B.
Surface waves move more slowly than P waves and S waves.
- C.
Surface waves can cause the most severe ground movements.
- D.
All the above.
- 8.The bending of waves around the edge of a barrier is called
- A.
Diffraction.
- B.
Refraction.
- C.
Interference.
- D.
Reflection.
- 9.The maximum distance the particles of a medium move from their rest position is called the
- A.
Wavelength.
- B.
Amplitude.
- C.
Frequency.
- D.
Speed.
- 10.Tsunamis are produced by
- A.
Distant typhoon winds.
- B.
Undersea earthquakes.
- C.
Earthquakes that occur only on land.
- D.
Erratic tides.
- 11.One way in which P waves differ from S waves is that
- A.
S waves travel through Earth's core while P waves do not.
- B.
P waves travel through Earth's core while S waves do not.
- C.
S waves can travel through liquids while P waves cannot.
- D.
P waves are transverse waves while S waves are longitudinal.
- 12.The combining of two waves to make a wave with a smaller amplitude is called
- A.
A standing wave.
- B.
Resonance.
- C.
Destructive interference.
- D.
Constructive interference.
- 13.A wave that moves particles of a medium parallel to the direction in which the wave travels is a
- A.
Longitudinal wave.
- B.
Mechanical wave.
- C.
Seismic wave.
- D.
Transverse wave.
- 14.Which of the following accurately describes surface waves?
- A.
Surface waves are a combination of a longitudinal wave and transverse wave.
- B.
Surface waves move more slowly than P waves and S waves.
- C.
Surface waves can cause the most severe ground movements.
- D.
All of the above.
- 15.The speed of waves
- A.
Is the same in every medium.
- B.
Is constant in a given medium under uniform conditions.
- C.
Always varies from point to point in a given medium.
- D.
Changes if the frequency or wavelength changes.
- 16.A wave that appears to be still in one place, even though it is really two waves interfering as they pass through each other is called a(n)
- A.
Longitudinal wave.
- B.
P wave.
- C.
Standing wave.
- D.
S wave.
- 17.The energy of a wave is directly related to its
- A.
Amplitude.
- B.
Wavelength.
- C.
Frequency.
- D.
Speed.
- 18.To look for resources deep underground, geologists produce a small explosion at the surface so that they can
- A.
Detect seismic waves reflected off underground structures.
- B.
Uncover hidden structures.
- C.
Detect seismic waves reflected off the surface of the ground.
- D.
Shake up the ground and make cracks for oil to seep upward.
- 19.The interaction between waves that meet is called
- A.
Diffraction.
- B.
Refraction.
- C.
Interference.
- D.
Reflection.
- 20.Waves that require a medium through which to travel are called
- A.
Longitudinal waves.
- B.
Mechanical waves.
- C.
Transverse waves.
- D.
Seismic waves.
- 21.The seismic waves that travel the fastest are
- A.
Surface waves.
- B.
S waves.
- C.
P waves.
- D.
Tsunamis.
- 22.Seismic waves that travel through Earth's core are
- A.
Surface waves.
- B.
P waves.
- C.
S waves.
- D.
Tsunamis.
- 23.A wave moving from one medium to another at an angle results in
- A.
Diffraction.
- B.
Refraction.
- C.
Interference.
- D.
Reflection.
- 24.Transverse waves have
- A.
Crests and troughs.
- B.
Compressions and rarefactions.
- C.
Crest and rarefactions.
- D.
Compressions and troughs.
- 25.Longitudinal waves have
- A.
Crest and troughs.
- B.
Compressions and rarefactions.
- C.
Compressions and troughs.
- D.
Rarefaction and crests.
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