Topic 4.
2 – Traveling waves Formative Assessment
NAME: _________________________________ TEAM:__
THIS IS A PRACTICE ASSESSMENT. Show formulas, substitutions, answers (in spaces provided) and units!
1. What is the difference between a transverse and a longitudinal traveling wave? _________________
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2. Explain what compressions and rarefactions are, and what type of traveling wave has these
characteristics. _____________________________________________________________________
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3. Explain what crests and troughs are, and what kind of traveling wave has these characteristics.
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4. What kind of oscillation are the particles of a medium carrying a traveling wave undergoing?
4. _________________
Twelve identical mass-spring combos are lined up and set to
oscillation. Two pictures of the same system taken at different times
are shown to the right. The crest-to-crest distance is 6.0 cm, and the
maximum displacement of all of the masses is 2.5 cm.
5. Explain how you can tell that a traveling wave is present.
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6. Which direction is the wave traveling? Be sure to justify your
response with a reasoned explanation. 6. _______________
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7. Make an estimate of the period of the oscillation of each mass. 7. _________________
8. What is the frequency of the traveling wave? 8. _________________
9. What are the amplitude and the wavelength of the traveling wave? 9. _________________
_________________
10. What is the wave speed? 10. ________________
Consider the wave train being transmitted through the spring as
shown. The accompanying graph shoes the motion of a single loop
of the spring as it moves back and forth in SHM.
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CM
11. In the spring picture place a C at each center of a compression. In the picture place an R at each
center of a rarefaction. 11. __In picture______
12. What is the frequency of the wave train? 12. ________________
13. What is the wavelength (in cm) of the wave train? 13. ________________
14. What is the wave speed (in cm s-1)? 14. ________________
A traveling wave has displacement y vs.
time shown in Graph 1 and
displacement y vs. horizontal position x
in Graph 2.
15. What are the amplitude and the
period of the traveling wave?
15. ____________, ____________
16. What are the wavelength and the wave speed of the traveling wave? 16. ________________
________________
A longitudinal wave has displacement x
vs. time shown for a single particle in
Graph 1 and displacement x vs.
horizontal position d for a particular
instant in Graph 2. Graph 3 shows 5
particles in the longitudinal wave at
their equilibrium position.
17. For each of the 5 particles, in Graph 3 (below) place an reflecting the particles’ positions at the
instant depicted in Graph 2. 17. __In Graph 3______
d / cm
0.0 10. Graph 3 20. 30.
018. In Graph 3 place an R at the center of a rarefaction. Place a C at the center of a compression.
18. __In Graph
3______
The displacement y vs. time t graph of a light wave is shown.
19. Find the frequency of the light. What portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum does this place this light?
19. ______________, ______________
20. Find the wavelength of the light. 20. ________________
21. Explain why you don’t need a displacement vs. distance graph for light, but you do for other
traveling waves. ____________________________________________________________________
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