Grade 11 · Science · Physics

11th grade Interference and standing waves worksheet

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Interference and standing waves

Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

Waves travel at 240 m/s on a string 0.8 m long. What frequency makes a standing wave with 3 loops, Bo?
Waves travel at 90 m/s on a string 0.5 m long. What frequency makes a standing wave with 2 loops, Esme?
Read this first
Standing waves on one string (example data)
Loops Frequency (Hz)
1 100
2 200
3 300
4 ?
3.
Using the table, what frequency gives 4 loops, Jun?
- 1600 Hz
- 400 Hz
- 500 Hz
4.
Using the table, the string is 0.5 m long. How fast do waves travel on it, Kira?
- 100 m/s
- 50 m/s
- 200 m/s
5.
Using the table, why can't this string make a standing wave at 250 Hz, Luz?
- It isn't a whole-number multiple of 100 Hz
- Standing waves need odd numbers of loops
- 250 Hz is too high for any string
6.
Milo says destructive interference destroys energy. Agree or disagree?
- Disagree: the energy moves to the loud spots
- Agree: cancelled waves lose their energy
- Agree: the quiet spots soak it up for good
7.
Noah says two pulses that cancel while overlapping are gone for good. Agree or disagree?
- Agree: cancelling uses them up
- Agree: they join into one flat rope
- Disagree: each carries on after they pass
8.
Pia says the nodes on a standing wave are points where two waves always cancel. Agree or disagree?
- Agree: the two waves meet out of step there
- Disagree: nodes move along the string
- Disagree: nodes are where the string moves most
9.
A string's lowest note is 200 Hz. What is it if the string is held at half its length, Ren?
- 100 Hz
- 200 Hz
- 400 Hz
10.
Waves travel at 150 m/s on a 0.75 m string. What is its lowest standing-wave frequency, Zee?
- 100 Hz
- 200 Hz
- 112.5 Hz

Loops	Frequency (Hz)
1	100
2	200
3	300
4	?

11th grade Interference and standing waves worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Interference and standing waves. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can add overlapping displacements with signs, and tell constructive (crest on crest) from destructive (crest on trough) interference.
I can explain that pulses pass through each other unchanged and that cancelled energy reappears at the loud spots, not destroyed.
I can find nodes, antinodes and wavelength on a standing wave (λ = 2L ÷ n), and string frequencies (f = nv ÷ 2L, harmonics n × f₁).
I can use path difference: whole wavelengths give loud spots, half wavelengths quiet ones. I can explain noise-cancelling headphones and tuning a string.

Standard: none (TX)

Words to know

interference: Two waves overlapping and adding point by point

constructive: Waves adding to make a bigger wave

destructive: Waves cancelling to make a smaller wave

node / antinode: A point that stays still / a point that swings most

harmonic: A standing wave with a whole number of loops

Common mistakes

Your child ignored a minus sign. A displacement below the middle line is negative, so it subtracts.

Your child forgot that each loop is half a wavelength. On a string, λ = 2L ÷ n, and f = nv ÷ 2L.

Your child thought destructive interference destroys energy. The energy is moved to the loud spots; it isn't lost.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with interference and standing waves?

Your child ignored a minus sign. A displacement below the middle line is negative, so it subtracts.

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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