Question 1

A fire whistle emits a tone of 170 Hz.Take the speed of sound in air to be 340 m/s.The wavelength of this sound is about:

Accepted Answer

A) 0.5 m 
B) 1.0 m 
C) 2.0 m 
D) 3.0 m 
E) 340 m 
A) 0.5 m 
B) 1.0 m 
C) 2.0 m 
D) 3.0 m 
E) 340 m C

Question 2

Which of the following properties of a sound wave determine its "pitch"?

Accepted Answer

A) amplitude 
B) distance form source to detector 
C) frequency 
D) phase 
E) speed 
A) amplitude 
B) distance form source to detector 
C) frequency 
D) phase 
E) speed C

Question 3

Two identical tuning forks vibrate at 256 Hz.One of them is then loaded with a drop of wax, after which 6 beats per second are heard.The frequency of the loaded tuning fork is:

Accepted Answer

A) 250 Hz 
B) 253 Hz 
C) 256 Hz 
D) 259 Hz 
E) 262 Hz 
A) 250 Hz 
B) 253 Hz 
C) 256 Hz 
D) 259 Hz 
E) 262 Hz A

Question 4

You are listening to an "A" note played on a violin string.Let the subscript "s" refer to the violin string and "a" refer to the air.Then:

Accepted Answer

A) "fs = fa but $\lambda$s $\neq$$\lambda$a " 
B) "fs = fa and $\lambda$s = $\lambda$a" 
C) "$\lambda$s = $\lambda$a but fs $\neq$ fa" 
D) "$\lambda$s $\neq$$\lambda$a and fs $\neq$ fa" 
E) "linear density of string = volume density of air" 
A) "fs = fa but $\lambda$s $\neq$$\lambda$a " 
B) "fs = fa and $\lambda$s = $\lambda$a" 
C) "$\lambda$s = $\lambda$a but fs $\neq$ fa" 
D) "$\lambda$s $\neq$$\lambda$a and fs $\neq$ fa" 
E) "linear density of string = volume density of air"

Question 5

Two waves are out of phase by half a wavelength.What is this in radians?

Accepted Answer

A) π/6 
B) π/4 
C) π/2 
D) π 
E) 3π/2 
A) π/6 
B) π/4 
C) π/2 
D) π 
E) 3π/2

Question 6

Consider two imaginary spherical surfaces of different radius, both centered on a point sound source emitting spherical waves.The power transmitted across the larger sphere is ________ the power transmitted across the smaller and the intensity at a point on the larger sphere is ________ the intensity at a point on the smaller.

Accepted Answer

A) greater than, the same as 
B) greater than, greater than 
C) greater than, less than 
D) the same as, less than 
E) the same as, the same as 
A) greater than, the same as 
B) greater than, greater than 
C) greater than, less than 
D) the same as, less than 
E) the same as, the same as

Question 7

Take the speed of sound to be 340 m/s.A thunder clap is heard about 3 s after the lightning is seen.The source of both light and sound is:

Accepted Answer

A) moving overhead faster than the speed of sound 
B) emitting a much higher frequency than is heard 
C) emitting a much lower frequency than is heard 
D) about 1000 m away 
E) much more than 1000 m away 
A) moving overhead faster than the speed of sound 
B) emitting a much higher frequency than is heard 
C) emitting a much lower frequency than is heard 
D) about 1000 m away 
E) much more than 1000 m away

Question 8

The speed of a sound wave is determined by:

Accepted Answer

A) its amplitude 
B) its intensity 
C) its pitch 
D) number of overtones present 
E) the transmitting medium 
A) its amplitude 
B) its intensity 
C) its pitch 
D) number of overtones present 
E) the transmitting medium

Question 9

The sound level at a point P is 14 db below the sound level at a point 1.0 m from a point source.Assuming the intensity from a point source drops off like the inverse square of the distance, the distance from the source to point P is:

Accepted Answer

A) 4.0 cm 
B) 20 m 
C) 2.0 m 
D) 5.0 m 
E) 25 m 
A) 4.0 cm 
B) 20 m 
C) 2.0 m 
D) 5.0 m 
E) 25 m

Question 10

Two small identical speakers are connected (in phase)to the same source.The speakers are 3 m apart and at ear level.An observer stands at X, 4 m in front of one speaker as shown.The sound she hears will be most intense if the wavelength is:

Accepted Answer

A) 5 m 
B) 4 m 
C) 3 m 
D) 2 m 
E) 1 m 
A) 5 m 
B) 4 m 
C) 3 m 
D) 2 m 
E) 1 m

Question 11

A vibrating tuning fork is held over a water column with one end closed and the other open.As the water level is allowed to fall, a loud sound is heard for water levels separated by 17 cm.If the speed of sound in air is 340 m/s, the frequency of the tuning fork is:

Accepted Answer

A) 58 Hz 
B) 500 Hz 
C) 1000 Hz 
D) 2000 Hz 
E) 5800 Hz 
A) 58 Hz 
B) 500 Hz 
C) 1000 Hz 
D) 2000 Hz 
E) 5800 Hz

Question 12

A column of argon is open at one end and closed at the other.The shortest length of such a column that will resonate with a 200 Hz tuning fork is 42.5 cm.The speed of sound in argon must be:

Accepted Answer

A) 85.0 m/s 
B) 170 m/s 
C) 340 m/s 
D) 470 m/s 
E) 940 m/s 
A) 85.0 m/s 
B) 170 m/s 
C) 340 m/s 
D) 470 m/s 
E) 940 m/s

Question 13

The diagram shows four situations in which a source of sound S and a detector D are either moving or stationary.The arrows indicate the directions of motion.The speeds (when not zero)are all the same.(Note that the detector in situation 3 is stationary).Rank the situations according to the apparent frequency of the source, lowest to highest.

Accepted Answer

A) 1, 2, 3, 4 
B) 4, 3, 2, 1 
C) 1, 3, 4, 2 
D) 2, 1, 4, 3 
E) None of the above 
A) 1, 2, 3, 4 
B) 4, 3, 2, 1 
C) 1, 3, 4, 2 
D) 2, 1, 4, 3 
E) None of the above

Question 14

A tuning fork produces sound waves of wavelength $\lambda$ in air.This sound is used to cause resonance in an air column, closed at one end and open at the other.The length of this column CANNOT be:

Accepted Answer

A) "$\lambda$/4" 
B) "2$\lambda$/4" 
C) "3$\lambda$/4" 
D) "5$\lambda$/4" 
E) "7$\lambda$/4" 
A) "$\lambda$/4" 
B) "2$\lambda$/4" 
C) "3$\lambda$/4" 
D) "5$\lambda$/4" 
E) "7$\lambda$/4"

Question 15

A sound wave has a wavelength of 3.0 m.The distance from a compression center to the adjacent rarefaction center is:

Accepted Answer

A) 0.75 m 
B) 1.5 m 
C) 3.0 m 
D) need to know wave speed 
E) need to know frequency 
A) 0.75 m 
B) 1.5 m 
C) 3.0 m 
D) need to know wave speed 
E) need to know frequency

Question 16

If the speed of sound is 340 m/s, the two lowest frequencies of an 0.5 m organ pipe, closed at one end, are approximately:

Accepted Answer

A) 170 and 340 Hz 
B) 170 and 510 Hz 
C) 340 and 680 Hz 
D) 340 and 1020 Hz 
E) 57 and 170 Hz 
A) 170 and 340 Hz 
B) 170 and 510 Hz 
C) 340 and 680 Hz 
D) 340 and 1020 Hz 
E) 57 and 170 Hz

Question 17

At points in a sound wave where the gas is maximally compressed, the pressure

Accepted Answer

A) is a maximum 
B) is a minimum 
C) is equal to the ambient value 
D) is greater than the ambient value but less than the maximum 
E) is less than the ambient value but greater than the minimum 
A) is a maximum 
B) is a minimum 
C) is equal to the ambient value 
D) is greater than the ambient value but less than the maximum 
E) is less than the ambient value but greater than the minimum

Question 18

The speed of sound is 340 m/s.A plane flies horizontally at an altitude of 10,000 m and a speed of 400 m/s.When an observer on the ground hears the sonic boom the horizontal distance from the point on its path directly above the observer to the plane is (assume the speed of sound does not change with altitude):

Accepted Answer

A) 5800 m 
B) 6100 m 
C) 8400 m 
D) 12,000 m 
E) 16,000 m 
A) 5800 m 
B) 6100 m 
C) 8400 m 
D) 12,000 m 
E) 16,000 m

Question 19

A 200-cm organ pipe with one end open is in resonance with a sound wave of wavelength 270 cm.The pipe is operating in its:

Accepted Answer

A) fundamental frequency 
B) first harmonic 
C) second harmonic 
D) third harmonic 
E) fourth harmonic 
A) fundamental frequency 
B) first harmonic 
C) second harmonic 
D) third harmonic 
E) fourth harmonic

Question 20

If the speed of sound is 340 m/s, the shortest pipe, closed at one end, which resonates at 218 Hz is:

Accepted Answer

A) 39 cm 
B) 78 cm 
C) 1.6 m 
D) 3.1 m 
E) 6.2 m 
A) 39 cm 
B) 78 cm 
C) 1.6 m 
D) 3.1 m 
E) 6.2 m

Exam 17: Waves II

A fire whistle emits a tone of 170 Hz.Take the speed of sound in air to be 340 m/s.The wavelength of this sound is about:

Which of the following properties of a sound wave determine its "pitch"?

Two identical tuning forks vibrate at 256 Hz.One of them is then loaded with a drop of wax, after which 6 beats per second are heard.The frequency of the loaded tuning fork is:

You are listening to an "A" note played on a violin string.Let the subscript "s" refer to the violin string and "a" refer to the air.Then:

Two waves are out of phase by half a wavelength.What is this in radians?

Take the speed of sound to be 340 m/s.A thunder clap is heard about 3 s after the lightning is seen.The source of both light and sound is:

The speed of a sound wave is determined by:

The sound level at a point P is 14 db below the sound level at a point 1.0 m from a point source.Assuming the intensity from a point source drops off like the inverse square of the distance, the distance from the source to point P is:

Two small identical speakers are connected (in phase)to the same source.The speakers are 3 m apart and at ear level.An observer stands at X, 4 m in front of one speaker as shown.The sound she hears will be most intense if the wavelength is:

A vibrating tuning fork is held over a water column with one end closed and the other open.As the water level is allowed to fall, a loud sound is heard for water levels separated by 17 cm.If the speed of sound in air is 340 m/s, the frequency of the tuning fork is:

A column of argon is open at one end and closed at the other.The shortest length of such a column that will resonate with a 200 Hz tuning fork is 42.5 cm.The speed of sound in argon must be:

A tuning fork produces sound waves of wavelength λ\lambdaλ in air.This sound is used to cause resonance in an air column, closed at one end and open at the other.The length of this column CANNOT be:

A sound wave has a wavelength of 3.0 m.The distance from a compression center to the adjacent rarefaction center is:

If the speed of sound is 340 m/s, the two lowest frequencies of an 0.5 m organ pipe, closed at one end, are approximately:

At points in a sound wave where the gas is maximally compressed, the pressure

A 200-cm organ pipe with one end open is in resonance with a sound wave of wavelength 270 cm.The pipe is operating in its:

If the speed of sound is 340 m/s, the shortest pipe, closed at one end, which resonates at 218 Hz is:

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A tuning fork produces sound waves of wavelength $\lambda$ in air.This sound is used to cause resonance in an air column, closed at one end and open at the other.The length of this column CANNOT be: