What Is a Wave? - ScienceKid.org

Waves are everywhere — in the ocean, in your ears, in the guitar string vibrating right now. But a wave is not a 'thing' moving through space. It is a pattern of energy transfer. Learn what makes a wave a wave, and master the vocabulary that describes them all.

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Q1 Question 1 of 10

What is a wave?

A stream of particles moving in the same direction A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place without transferring matter A moving fluid that carries energy and matter together A vibration that only occurs in liquids and gases

Q2 Question 2 of 10

In a transverse wave, how do the particles of the medium move relative to the direction the wave travels?

Parallel to the direction of wave travel Perpendicular (at right angles) to the direction of wave travel In circles around the direction of travel They do not move at all — only the energy moves

Q3 Question 3 of 10

In a longitudinal wave, how do the particles move?

Perpendicular to the direction of travel, like in a transverse wave Back and forth parallel to the direction of wave travel, creating compressions and rarefactions In spirals around the direction of travel They do not move — only the pattern of density changes

Q4 Question 4 of 10

What is the amplitude of a wave?

The distance between two successive crests of a wave The number of waves passing a point per second The maximum displacement of a particle from its rest position — related to the wave's energy The speed at which the wave travels through the medium

Q5 Question 5 of 10

What is wavelength?

The height of a wave from its trough to its crest The time for one complete wave to pass a point The distance between two successive points that are in phase — e.g. crest to crest or trough to trough The speed of the wave multiplied by its amplitude

Q6 Question 6 of 10

What is frequency, and what unit is it measured in?

The number of complete wave cycles passing a point per second, measured in hertz (Hz) The distance a wave travels in one second, measured in metres per second The time for one complete oscillation, measured in seconds The maximum displacement of a wave, measured in metres

Q7 Question 7 of 10

A wave has a frequency of 5 Hz. What is its period?

5 seconds 0.2 seconds 25 seconds 10 seconds

Q8 Question 8 of 10

The wave equation is v = fλ. A wave has a frequency of 200 Hz and a wavelength of 1.5 m. What is its speed?

133 m/s 300 m/s 201.5 m/s 30,000 m/s

Q9 Question 9 of 10

Which of the following is an example of a longitudinal wave?

Light waves Waves on a guitar string Sound waves in air Radio waves

Q10 Question 10 of 10

A louder sound and a quieter sound of the same pitch (frequency) differ in which wave property?

Frequency — the louder sound has more cycles per second Wavelength — the louder sound has a shorter wavelength Speed — the louder sound travels faster through air Amplitude — the louder sound has greater amplitude and carries more energy

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