Sound Waves and Resonance Conceptual Questions

1) The beat frequency produced when a 240 hertz tuning fork and a 246 hertz tuning fork are sounded together is A) 6 hertz. B) 12 hertz. C) 240 hertz. D) 245 hertz. E) None of the above choices are correct. 2) An explosion occurs 34 km away. Since sound travels at 340 m/s, the time it takes for the sound to reach you is A) 0.1 second. B) 1 second. C) 10 seconds. D) 20 seconds. E) more than 20 seconds. 3)In which one of these media does sound travel the fastest? A) water vapor B) water C) ice D) steam E) Sound travels the same speed in each of the above media. 4) Resonance can be looked at as forced vibration with the A) least amount of energy input. B) maximum amount of energy input. C) matching of wave amplitudes. D) matching of constructive and destructive interference. E) minimum beat frequency. 5) Sound waves can interfere with one another so that no sound results. A) True B) False C) Either true or false, depending on the air temperature. 6) The phenomenon of beats results from sound A) refraction. B) reflection. C) interference. D) all of these E) none of these 1 7) A wave having a frequency of 1000 hertz vibrates at A) less than 1000 cycles per second. B) 1000 cycles per second. C) more than 1000 cycles per second. 8) Double the frequency of a sound and you halve its A) wavelength. B) speed. C) amplitude. D) all of these E) none of these 9)The source of every sound is something that is A) vibrating. B) moving. C) accelerating. D) undergoing simple harmonic motion. E) a net emitter of energy. 10) In a longitudinal wave the compressions and rarefactions travel in A) the same direction. B) opposite directions. C) a vacuum. 11) Which of the following is not a transverse wave? A) sound B) light C) radio D) all of these E) none of these 12) Radio waves travel at the speed of light, 300,000 km/s. The wavelength of a radio wave received at 100 megahertz is A) 0.3 m. B) 3.0 m. C) 30 m. D) 300 m. E) none of these 13) How many vibrations per second are associated with a 101-MHz radio wave? A) less than 101,000,000 B) 101,000,000 C) more than 101,000,000 2 14) A node is a position of A) minimum amplitude. B) maximum amplitude. C) half amplitude. 15)The Doppler effect is characteristic of A) water waves. B) sound waves. C) light waves. D) all of the above choices E) none of the above choices 16) An observer on the ground hears a sonic boom which is created by an airplane flying at a speed A) just below the speed of sound. B) equal to the speed of sound. C) greater than the speed of sound. D) All of the above choices are true. E) None of the above choices are true. 17) For light, a red shift indicates that the light source is moving A) toward you. B) away from you. C) at right angles to you. D) actually, all of these E) none of these 18) The amplitude of a particular wave is 1 meter. The top-to-bottom distance of the disturbance is A) 0.5 m. B) 1 m. C) 2 m. D) none of these 19) A wave travels an average distance of 1 meter in 1 second with a frequency of 1 hertz. Its amplitude is A) less than 1 meter. B) 1 meter. C) more than 1 meter. D) not enough information to say 20) The frequency of the second hand on a clock is A) 1 hertz. B) 1/60 hertz. 3 C) 60 hertz. 21) A floating object oscillates up and down 2 complete cycles in 1 second as a water wave of wavelength 5 meters passes by. The speed of the wave is A) 2 m/s. B) 5 m/s. C) 10 m/s. D) 15 m/s. E) none of these 22) The approximate range of human hearing is A) 10 hertz to 10,000 hertz. B) 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz. C) 40 hertz to 40,000 hertz. D) Actually all of these – depends on the hearing ability of the person. 23) Compressions and rarefactions are characteristic of A) longitudinal waves. B) transverse waves. C) both longitudinal and transverse waves. D) none of the above. 24) Sound travels faster in A) air. B) water. C) steel. D) a vacuum. E) Sound travels at about the same speed in all of the above media. Answer: C 25)Refraction of sound can occur in A) air. B) water. C) both air and water. D) neither air nor water. 26) As we become older, the frequency range of human hearing A) decreases. B) increases. C) remains relatively constant 4