Understanding Waves: Light and Sound

What is true about both light and sound?

• They both travel as waves.

• Sound travels through space, but light cannot.

• Both light and sound are mechanical waves.

• Both light and sound require a medium to travel through.

What is the main difference between light and sound waves?

• Sound waves require matter to travel, while light waves do not.

• Sound waves travel faster than light waves.

• Light waves are mechanical waves, while sound waves are electromagnetic waves.

• Sound waves travel in straight lines, while light waves spread out in all directions.

When sound waves hit a surface, what can happen?

• They always get louder.

• They are always absorbed by the surface.

• They can be reflected, absorbed, or transmitted.

• They turn into light waves.

Which of the following best describes the properties of a wave?

• Amplitude, wavelength, and frequency

• Height, width, and length

• Speed, mass, and temperature

• Motion, pressure, and volume

What type of wave is a sound wave?

• Electromagnetic wave

• Transverse wave

• Longitudinal wave

• Water wave

What is an example of a transverse wave?

• Sound wave

• Light wave

• Water wave

• A wave moving forward and back

What is the amplitude of a wave?

• The distance between two wave peaks

• The height of the wave, from the resting point to the peak

• The number of waves that pass a point in one second

• The time it takes for one wave to pass

How is wavelength defined?

• The time it takes for one wave to travel a distance

• The number of waves that pass a point in one second

• The distance between two peaks of a wave

• The height of the wave from its resting point

What does the frequency of a wave measure?

• How tall the wave is

• How far apart the peaks are

• How many waves pass a point in one second

• How long it takes for one wave to pass a point

What happens when the amplitude of a wave increases?

• The wave becomes shorter.

• The wave becomes taller (higher).

• The frequency decreases.

• The wave’s speed decreases.