Free Progressive Waves MCQs with Answers
72 Progressive Waves MCQs from Physics, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
Progressive waves transfer energy through a medium or space while particles oscillate about their equilibrium positions. The work includes amplitude, wavelength, frequency, period, phase difference, wave speed and the progressive wave equation, while distinguishing travelling waves from stationary waves, where the pattern has fixed nodes and antinodes.
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- A. along the direction of propagation
- B. perpendicular to the direction of propagation
- C. in circles of increasing radius
- D. not at all
Explanation: Light, waves on a string and ripples on water are transverse, with the displacement at right angles to the direction the energy travels.
Correct answer: perpendicular to the direction of propagation- A. the speed of the wave
- B. the frequency of the wave
- C. the plane in which the vibrations occur
- D. the amplitude of the wave
Explanation: A transverse wave vibrates in any plane perpendicular to its direction of travel, so a filter can select one of those planes, whereas a…
Correct answer: the plane in which the vibrations occur- A. Have low speed in vacuum
- B. Disperse in space due to long wavelength
- C. Lose frequency in the absence of air
- D. Lose transmission without interacting particles
Explanation: A mechanical wave propagates by particles of a medium pushing on their neighbours, so with no particles there is nothing to carry the…
Correct answer: Lose transmission without interacting particles- A. Velocity
- B. Stress
- C. Time Period
- D. Gravity
Explanation: Frequency and time period are reciprocals: f = 1/T, where f is measured in hertz (Hz) and T in seconds (s).
Correct answer: Time Period- A. Double
- B. Four times
- C. One half
- D. None time
Explanation: The energy carried by a wave is proportional to the square of its amplitude, E ∝ A².
Correct answer: Four times- A. crest
- B. trough
- C. wavelength
- D. wave front
Explanation: A wavefront is the locus of points in a medium that are vibrating in the same phase at a given instant.
Correct answer: wave front- A. a cylindrical wave front
- B. an elliptical wave front
- C. a spherical wave front
- D. a plane wave front
Explanation: Wavefronts from a point source spread equally in all directions in a homogeneous medium, forming concentric spheres centred on the source.
Correct answer: a spherical wave front- A. reflection
- B. refraction
- C. diffraction
- D. polarization
Explanation: Polarization requires vibrations to be restricted to one direction perpendicular to propagation, which is possible for transverse waves…
Correct answer: polarization- A. isothermal law
- B. adiabatic law
- C. isochoric law
- D. all of the above
Explanation: Sound compressions and rarefactions occur so rapidly that there is essentially no time for heat to flow between the gas and its…
Correct answer: adiabatic law- A. Longitudinal
- B. Transverse
- C. Periodic
- D. both A and C
Explanation: The disturbance repeats at a fixed frequency of 50 Hz, so the surface waves are periodic.
Correct answer: both A and C- A. they are transverse waves
- B. they are stationary waves
- C. they require material medium for propagation
- D. they do not have enough energy
Explanation: Sound is a mechanical wave, so its particles must pass vibrations from one particle to the next through a material medium.
Correct answer: they require material medium for propagation- A. refraction
- B. polarization
- C. interference
- D. diffraction
Explanation: Only transverse waves can be polarized because polarization restricts vibrations to a particular direction perpendicular to propagation.
Correct answer: polarization- A. matter waves
- B. electromagnetic waves
- C. carrier waves
- D. mechanical waves
Explanation: Mechanical waves need particles of a material medium to pass the disturbance from one place to another, so they cannot propagate through a…
Correct answer: mechanical waves- A. Dopplers effect
- B. Interference of waves
- C. Beats phenomena
- D. All of these
Explanation: The Doppler effect causes a change in the observed frequency when a star moves relative to Earth, allowing its radial velocity to be…
Correct answer: Dopplers effect- A. an apparent increase in frequency
- B. an apparent decrease in frequency
- C. an apparent decrease in wavelength
- D. no apparent change in frequency
Explanation: When a sound source moves away from a stationary listener, successive wavefronts reach the listener less frequently, so the observed…
Correct answer: an apparent decrease in frequency- A. frequency in the audible range
- B. frequency is greater than 20 kHz
- C. frequency lower than 20 Hz
- D. all of above
Explanation: Ultrasonic waves have frequencies greater than 20 kHz, which is above the upper limit of normal human hearing.
Correct answer: frequency is greater than 20 kHz- A. frequency
- B. period
- C. Wave length
- D. phase difference
Explanation: The distance between two successive crests or two successive troughs is one wavelength, λ.
Correct answer: Wave length- A. energy
- B. mass
- C. both
- D. none
Explanation: A wave transfers energy from one location to another while the particles of the medium mainly oscillate about their mean positions.
Correct answer: energy- A. 0 degrees
- B. 180 degrees
- C. 270 degrees
- D. 90 degrees
Explanation: When a sound wave is reflected from a denser medium, the reflected wave undergoes a phase change of 180 degrees or pi radians.
Correct answer: 180 degrees- A. Increase
- B. Decrease.
- C. Become zero.
- D. Remain unchanged.
Explanation: The correct answer is that the frequency will decrease. When the prongs of a tuning fork are coated with a thick layer of wax, the added…
Correct answer: Decrease.Progressive Waves MCQs: common questions
Are these Progressive Waves MCQs free?
Yes. All Progressive Waves MCQs from Physics are free on TestUstad, with unlimited attempts and no account needed. Nothing on this page is a sample or a trial.
How many Progressive Waves MCQs are on this page?
There are 72 Progressive Waves MCQs in the Physics bank, shown 20 to a page with the correct answer and an explanation on each.
Does every Progressive Waves MCQ have an explanation?
Yes. Each Progressive Waves question shows the correct option and a written explanation of why it is correct, so a wrong answer teaches you something rather than just being marked wrong.
Can I take a timed Progressive Waves test?
Yes. The practice button on this page starts a free Progressive Waves test drawn from the Physics bank. It marks each answer instantly, gives you a score at the end, and can be retaken as many times as you like.