FREE Physics Waves and Optics Questions and Answers
What is the wavelength of a wave traveling at 300 m/s with a frequency of 150 Hz?
The relationship between wave speed (๐ฃ), wavelength (ฮป), and frequency (๐) is given by: v=fฮป. Rearrange to solve for ๐: ๐=๐ฃ/๐=300m/s/150Hz=2โm. ฮป=v/ f = 300m/s/150Hz=2m.
Which of the following is an example of a longitudinal wave?
Longitudinal waves are characterized by particle oscillations parallel to the direction of wave propagation. Sound waves are a classic example, as air particles vibrate along the direction the wave travels.
When light passes from air into glass, which of the following occurs?
As light enters a denser medium like glass, its speed decreases. Since frequency remains constant, the wavelength must also decrease, as given by ๐ฃ=๐๐.
What is the angle of refraction when light enters water (refractive index n=1.33) from air at an angle of 30ยฐ? (Use Snell's Law: n 1sinฮธ 1 =n 2sinฮธ 2).
Snellโs Law: ๐1sin๐1=๐2sinโก๐2. ฮธ 2 =arcsin(0.376)โ22.1 โ .
A slit experiment produces a bright fringe 3 mm away from the central maximum on a screen 2 m away. If the slit separation is 0.5mm, what is the wavelength of light used?
The formula for the fringe position in a double-slit experiment is: ๐ฆ=๐๐๐ฟ/๐, ฮป= yโ d/mโ L = 0.003โ 0.0005/1โ 2=0.0000005m=500nm.