Waves Unit Test Study Guide

Olivia, Anika, and Luna are having a fun science debate! They are trying to figure out in which scenario sound waves would travel the fastest. Can you help them?

• When they shout across the playground (through air)

• When they talk underwater during their swimming class (through water)

• When they tap a metal rod and listen (through a solid metal rod)

• When they try to communicate in space (through a vacuum)

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Imagine Henry, Aiden, and Sophia are in a band. If Henry plays a note on his guitar with a higher frequency, how would it affect the pitch of the sound it produces?

• Higher frequency corresponds to lower pitch

• Higher frequency corresponds to higher pitch

• Frequency and pitch are unrelated

• Pitch is determined by the amplitude, not frequency

Imagine you, Evelyn and Benjamin are building sandcastles on a sunny beach. Suddenly, Jackson, who is surfing, rides a huge wave towards the shore. You all start discussing the properties of waves. How might the properties of these ocean waves (amplitude, frequency, wavelength) be different compared to the sound waves of your laughter?

• Ocean waves, like the one Jackson surfed, have higher amplitude

• The laughter sound waves have higher frequency

• Ocean waves have a longer wavelength

• The laughter sound waves have a shorter wavelength

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Anika, Avery, and Grace formed a band and are jamming on their guitars. They are curious about how adjusting the tension in their guitar strings would affect the wavelength of the sound waves produced. Can you help them understand?

• Increasing tension increases wavelength

• Increasing tension decreases wavelength

• Tension does not affect wavelength

• Tension affects frequency, not wavelength

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Imagine this, Grace, Benjamin, and Priya are in a room for a science experiment. The room is covered with sound-absorbing materials on the walls. What do you think would happen to the reflection of sound waves in such a scenario?

• It would increase the reflection of sound waves

• It would decrease the reflection of sound waves

• It would have no impact on the reflection of sound waves

• It would absorb the sound but not affect the reflection

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Imagine Ava, Zoe, and Elijah are on a field trip with their photography club. They spot a beautiful rainbow and decide to capture it. How do the properties of light waves (wavelength, frequency) influence the vibrant colors they see in their photographs?

• Longer wavelength produces red colors

• Shorter wavelength produces red colors

• Frequency of light determines brightness, not color

• Wavelength and frequency are unrelated to color

Imagine Benjamin, Maya, and Samuel are having a cook-off and they decide to use a microwave oven to heat their food. Can you tell them how the properties of microwaves differ from those of visible light waves?

• Microwaves have higher frequency than visible light

• Microwaves have longer wavelength than visible light

• Microwaves and visible light have similar properties

• Microwaves are a type of sound wave

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NGSS.MS-PS4-1

A prism is used to separate white light into its component colors. Explain how the phenomenon of dispersion occurs based on the properties of light waves.

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Imagine this, Michael, Elijah, and Benjamin are hanging out in the park when they hear a siren from an approaching ambulance. They start discussing the Doppler effect. Can you help them understand what changes occur in the sound waves as the ambulance gets closer?

• The siren's frequency gets higher as it approaches

• The siren's frequency gets lower as it approaches

• The siren's frequency doesn't change

• The Doppler effect only applies to light waves, not sound

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Imagine David, Abigail, and Grace are astronauts exploring the vastness of space. Suddenly, David's flashlight turns on in the vacuum of space. How would the absence of a medium (like air) affect the propagation of light waves from David's flashlight compared to their propagation in other mediums?

• Light waves from David's flashlight would travel faster in a vacuum

• Light waves from David's flashlight would travel slower in a vacuum

• Absence of medium has no effect on the light waves from David's flashlight

• Light waves from David's flashlight cannot propagate in a vacuum

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