AP Physics Physics: Waves & Optics 2

Question 1

A wave on a string has a frequency of 4 Hz and a wavelength of 0.5 m. What is the wave speed?

Accepted Answer

2 m/s

Answer

0.125 m/s

Answer

4.5 m/s

Answer

8 m/s

Question 2

Which phenomenon explains why a straw appears bent when placed in a glass of water?

Accepted Answer

Refraction

Answer

Diffraction

Answer

Reflection

Answer

Dispersion

Question 3

Two identical waves traveling in opposite directions on a string create a standing wave. The distance between two adjacent nodes is 0.3 m. What is the wavelength of the original traveling waves?

Accepted Answer

0.6 m

Answer

0.15 m

Answer

0.3 m

Answer

1.2 m

Question 4

A sound source emitting 500 Hz moves toward a stationary observer at 34 m/s. If the speed of sound is 340 m/s, what frequency does the observer hear?

Accepted Answer

550 Hz

Answer

450 Hz

Answer

500 Hz

Answer

560 Hz

Question 5

In a double-slit experiment, the slit separation is doubled while keeping all other variables constant. What happens to the fringe spacing?

Accepted Answer

It is halved

Answer

It doubles

Answer

It stays the same

Answer

It quadruples

Question 6

A light ray travels from glass (n = 1.5) into air (n = 1.0). What is the critical angle for total internal reflection?

Accepted Answer

41.8°

Answer

19.5°

Answer

33.6°

Answer

48.2°

Question 7

Which type of wave requires a material medium to propagate?

Accepted Answer

Mechanical waves

Answer

X-rays

Answer

Radio waves

Answer

Gamma rays