Transverse and longitudinal waves

Answer Key - Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

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

1. 1.

   Esme moves a rope's end up and down 12 times in 5 s, making waves of wavelength 0.25 m. How fast do the waves travel?

   0.6 m/s
2. 2.

   A wave crest travels right along a rope. Point P is on the flat rope just ahead of the crest. Which way will P move next, Jun?

   • Down
   • It will not move
   • Up
   • Right, with the wave
3. 3.

   The crest has just passed point P and moves on to the right. Which way does P move now, Kira?

   • Up
   • Left, back toward the start
   • Down
   • Right, with the crest
4. 4.

   A cork floats on a water wave moving right. Over one full wave cycle, where does the cork end up, Luz?

   • Half a wavelength to the right
   • Back where it started
   • One amplitude higher
   • One wavelength to the right
5. 5.

   Light passes through one polarizing filter, but a second filter turned 90° blocks it. What does this show, Milo?

   • Light waves vibrate sideways to the direction they travel: they are transverse
   • Light waves carry matter along with the energy
   • Light waves need a material to travel through, like a rope
   • Light waves vibrate along the direction they travel, like sound
6. 6.

   S-waves from an earthquake do not pass through Earth's liquid outer core, but P-waves do. What does this suggest about S-waves, Noah?

   • They are faster than P-waves, so they skip the core
   • They are longitudinal, like sound in a liquid
   • They are electromagnetic, and liquids block those
   • They are transverse: a liquid cannot carry a sideways shear
7. 7.

   A bell rings inside a jar. As air is pumped out, the sound fades but the bell stays visible. What does this show, Pia?

   • The bell stops vibrating when the air is removed
   • Sound is a transverse wave that the pump absorbs
   • Light also fades as air is removed, but too slowly to notice
   • Sound needs a medium to travel through, but light does not
9. 8.

   What is the wavelength of the rope wave in the snapshot, Ren?

   • 0.8 m
   • 1.0 m
   • 1.6 m
   • 0.4 m
10. 9.

    What is the amplitude of the rope wave in the snapshot, Tala?

    Use the picture in question 8.

    • 6 cm
    • 3 cm
    • 1.5 cm
    • 0.2 cm
11. 10.

    How many full wavelengths are on the 2.0 m of rope in the snapshot, Zee?

    Use the picture in question 8.

    • 2
    • 2.5
    • 3
    • 5