Title: Pre-Unit Assessment
Course: MNPCC Physics > Section: Mechanical Waves

See what you know going into the unit!

Q: Using the diagram below, which option indicates the wavelength of the wave, the distance a wave repeats over?
- B and C (Correct.)
- Segment B (C is the same size.)
- Segment C (B is the same size.)
- Segment A (Going into a trough is not equivalent to going into a crest.)
- Segment D (The top of a crest is not equivalent to the bottom of a trough.)
- A and D (Neither of these have similar features at both ends.)
A: B and C
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: How big is the disturbance (Amplitude) of the wave depicted here?
- 2 (Correct.)
- 4 (That is twice the amplitude.)
- 8 (That is the wavelength.)
A: 2
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: A fisherman in a boat notices that a wave splashes on the bow of his boat ever 2 seconds.  What is the frequency of the wave in units of Hertz (1/s)?
- 0.5 (Correct.)
- 2 (This is the period, not the frequency.)
- 4 (Not sure how you arrived at this.)
- 0.25 (Not sure how you arrived at this.)
A: 0.5
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: The crest of a wave travels from one end of a 12.5 m long dock to the other in 45 seconds.  What is the speed of the wave in m/s?
- 0.28 (Correct.)
- 3.6 (This is the inverse of the speed.)
- 0.08 (This is not how you find speed.)
- 32.5 (This is not how you find speed.)
A: 0.28
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: The wave shown below is moving to the right.  What type of motion would each part of the material that wave is traveling through move as the wave passes?
- Up and down. (Correct.)
- Side to side. (That would be a different type of wave.)
- To the right. (Overall the material does not move with a wave.)
A: Up and down.
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: Which wave quality does the loudness of sound depend on?
- Amplitude
- Wavelength
- Frequency
- Speed
A: Amplitude
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: Which wave characteristic of sound does the pitch of sound most directly relate to?
- Frequency
- Wavelength (It is inversely related to wavelength.)
- Amplitude
- Speed
A: Frequency
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: How does the perceived sound of a train horn change as it goes by?
- The pitch goes up as it approaches and down as it moves away.
- The pitch goes down as it approaches and up as it moves away.
- The pitch does not change, it gets louder as it moves closer and quieter as it moves away.
A: The pitch goes up as it approaches and down as it moves away.
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: A rock is dropped in a lake, when a wave moves across a lake, what is being transferred across the lake?
- Energy from the impact.
- Water displaced by the impact.
- Both energy and water.
- Nothing is actually being transported.
A: Energy from the impact.
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.

Q: Which of the following shows what will happen after these wave come together?
A: (a choice with no text)
If wrong: They do not bounce off each other.
If wrong: The shapes of the pulses will be preserved.
If right: Your answer is correct.
If wrong: Your answer is incorrect.