N.S.N.

MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

QUESTION BANK
CLASS XI
WAVES
TYPE-1 (REMEMBER & UNDERSTAND)
1. Which of the following properties of wave does not change
with change in medium?
(a) Frequency (b) Wavelength 267 (c) Velocity (d) Amplitude
2. The temperature at which speed of sound in air becomes
double of its value at 27°C:
(a) 54°C (b) 327°C (c) 927°C (d) -123°C
3. A wave y=a sin (ωt – kx) , on a string meets with another wave
producing a node at x=0. Then the equation of the unknown
wave is VW
(a) y = a sin (ωt + kx) (b) y = -a sin (ωt + kx)
(c) y = a sin (ωt – kx) (d) y= -a sin (ωt – kx)
4. Five organ pipes are described below. Which one has the
highest fundamental frequency?
(a) A 2.3 m pipe with one end open and the other end closed
(b) A 3.3 m pipe with one end open and the other closed
(c) A 1.6 m pipe with both ends open (d) A 3.0 m pipe with
both ends open
5. A stationary wave is set up in a resonance air column of a
glass tube partially filed with water by holding a tuning fork
near the open end , the open end of the tube is
(a) always a node (b) always an antinode
(c) sometimes a node and sometimes an antinode
(d) neither a node nor an antinode
6. Which of the following waves can travel through a vacuum?
a) Sound waves
b) Water waves
c) Light waves
d) Seismic waves
7. What is the frequency of a wave if its period is 0.5 seconds?
a) 0.5 Hz b) 1 Hz
c) 2 Hz d) 4 Hz
 N.S.N. MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

8. Which of the following is an example of a transverse wave?

a) Sound wave
b) Light wave
c) Seismic P-wave
d) Ocean wave
9. What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes
mechanical waves from electromagnetic waves?
a) Mechanical waves require a medium to travel through
b) Mechanical waves travel faster than electromagnetic
waves
c) Mechanical waves can travel through a vacuum
d) Mechanical waves are always longitudinal
10. Two waves traveling in the same medium interfere with each other. If the
waves have the same frequency and amplitude but are 180 degrees out
of phase, what is the result of their interference?
a) Constructive interference occurs.
b) Destructive interference occurs.
c) The waves cancel each other completely.
d) The resultant wave has double the amplitude.
11. Which of the following statements are true for a stationary wave?
(a) Every particle has a fixed amplitude which is different from the
amplitude of its nearest particle.
(b) All the particles cross their mean position at the same time.
(c) All the particles are oscillating with same amplitude.
(d) There is no net transfer of energy across any plane.
(e) There are some particles which are always at rest
12. When light passes from air into water, which of the following changes
occur?
a) The speed of light increases and the wavelength decreases.
b) The speed of light decreases and the wavelength increases.
c) The speed of light decreases and the wavelength decreases.
d) The speed of light remains constant while the wavelength changes.
13. Give four differences between transverse & longitudinal
waves.
 N.S.N. MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

14. On the basis of dimensional considerations, derive the formula for speed
of transverse waves on a stretched string
15. An incident wave is represented by y(x,t) = 20 sin(2x-4t). Write
the expression for reflected wave:
(i) from a rigid boundary
(ii) from a open boundary
16. Discuss the formation of harmonics in a stretched string.
Show that in the case of stretched string the first four
harmonics are 1:2:3:4.
17. Discuss the various modes of vibration in a closed end organ
pipe. Show that in a closed end organ pipe the harmonics are
in the ratio of 1:3:5…..

TYPE-2 (APPLICATION)
18. A tuning fork of frequency 580 Hz is employed to produce transverse waves
on a long rope.The distance between nearest crust found to be20 cm. The
velocity of wave is
(a) 58 m/s (b)580m/s (c) 20m/s (d) 116m/s
19. The phase difference between two waves, represented by
Y1=10-6sin(100t+(x/50) +0.5) m
Y2=10-6 cos(100t+(x/50) m where x is in metres and t is in
second, is approximately
(a) 1.07 rad (b) 2.07 rad (c) 0.5 rad (d) 1.5 rad
20. A 5.5 meter length of string has a mass of 0.035 kg. If the
tension in the string is 77 N, the speed of a wave on string is
(a) 110 m/s (b) 165 m/s (c) 77 m/s (d) 102m/s
21. In an experiment with sonometer a tuning fork of frequency
256 Hz resonates with a length of 25 cm and another tuning
fork resonates with a length of 16 cm. Tension of the string
remaining constant, the frequency of the second tuning fork is
(a) 163.84 Hz (b) 400 Hz (c) 320 Hz (d) 204.8 Hz
22. A fork produces 6 beats per sec with another fork of frequency
384. If the prongs of first fork are slightly filed 4 beats per
second are produced. The frequency of the first fork after filing
is
 N.S.N. MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

(a) 390 Hz (b) 378 Hz (c) 380 Hz (d) 388 Hz

23. An organ pipe, open at both ends produces 5 beats per second
when vibrated 268 with a source of frequency 200 Hz. The
second harmonic of the same pipe produces 10 beats per
second with a source of frequency 420 Hz.The frequency of
source is
(a) 195 Hz (b) 205 Hz (c) 190 Hz (d) 210 Hz
24. The equation of stationary wave in a stretched string is given
by y = 5 sin (πx/3) cos (40πt). The separation between two
adjacent nodes is
(a)1.5cm (b) 3 cm (c) 6 cm (d) 4 cm
25. A sound wave travels through air at a speed of approximately
343 m/s. If the frequency of the sound wave is 686 Hz, what is
the wavelength of the wave?
a) 0.5 m b) 1 m c) 2 m d) 3 m
26. A wave has a frequency of 50 Hz and a wavelength of 2 m. What is the speed
of the wave?
a) 25 m/s b) 50 m/s c) 100 m/s d) 200 m/s
27. A sitar wire is replaced by another wire of same length and
material but of three times the earlier radius. If the tension in
the wire remains the same, by what factor will the frequency
change?
28. A tuning fork A, marked 512 Hz, produces 5 beats per second,
where sounded with another unmarked tuning fork B. If B is
loaded with wax the number of beats is again 5 per second.
What is the frequency of the tuning fork B when not loaded?
29. When we start filling an empty bucket with water, the pitch of
the sound produced goes on changing?
30. A string of mass 2.50 kg is under a tension of 200 N. The length
of the stretched string is 20.0 m. If the transverse jerk is struck
at one end of the string, how long does the disturbance take to
reach the other end?
31. A wave travelling along a string is described by, y(x, t) = 0.005
sin (80.0 x – 3.0 t), in which the numerical constants are in SI
units (0.005 m, 80.0 rad/m , and 3.0 rad/s).
 N.S.N. MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

Calculate (a) the amplitude, (b) the wavelength, and (c) the
period and frequency of the wave.
32. A transverse harmonic wave on a string is described by
y(x,t)=3.0sin(36t+0.018x+π/4) Where x and y are in cm and t
in s. The positive direction of x is from left to right.
(a) Is this a travelling wave or a stationary wave? If it is
travelling, what are the speed and direction of its propagation?
33. A meter-long tube opens at one end, with a movable piston at
the other end, shows resonance with a fixed frequency source
(a tuning fork of frequency 340Hz) when the tube length is
25.5cmor 79.3cm. Estimate the speed of sound in air at the
temperature of the experiment.

TYPE-3 (ANALYSIS & CREATE)

32 A travelling harmonic wave is represented by the equation y(x,t)=10-3
sin(50+2x) where x &y are in meters and t is in seconds. Which of the
following is a correct statement about the wave?
(a) The wave is propogating along the -ve X axis with a speed 25m/s.
(b) The wave is propogating along the +ve X axis with a speed 100m/s.
(c) The wave is propogating along the -ve X axis with a speed 100m/s.
(d) The wave is propogating along the +ve X axis with a speed 25m/s.
33 If the density of oxygen is 16 times that of the hydrogen, what will be
the corresponding ratio of their velocities of sound waves?
(a) 1:4 (b)16:1 (c) 4:1 (d) 1:16
34 An organ pipe open at one end is vibrating in first overtone and is in
resonance with another pipe open at both ends and vibrating in third
harmonic. The ratio of length of two pipes is (a) 1:2 (b) 4:1 (c) 8:3 (d) 3:8
35 Transverse waves are generated in uniform steel wires A and B by
attaching their free ends to a vibrating source of frequency500 Hz. The
diameter of wire A is half that oof B and the tension of wire A is half that
of wire B. The velocities of waves in wire A & B are in the ratio. (a) 1:2
(b)2:1 (c) 1:√2 (d) √2 :1
36 Assertion : Sound would travel faster on a hot summer day than on a
cold winter day.
 N.S.N. MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

Reason : Velocity of sound is directly proportional to the square of its

absolute temperature.
37 Assertion : Solids can support both longitudinal and transverse waves
but only longitudinal waves can propagate in gases.
Reason : For the propagation of transverse waves, medium must also
necessarily have the property of rigidity.
38 Assertion : In the case of a stationary wave, a person hear a loud sound
at the nodes as compared to the antinodes. Reason : In a stationary wave
all the particles of the medium vibrate in phase.
39 Assertion : The change in air pressure effect the speed of sound.
Reason : The speed of sound in a gas is inversely proportional to square
root of pressure.
40 Assertion : To hear distinct beats, difference in frequencies of two
sources should be less than 10.
Reason : More the number of beats per sec more difficult to hear them
41 If during the propagation of a wave through a medium, the particles of
the medium 270 vibrate simple harmonically about their mean
positions, then the wave is said to be plane progressive wave. For
mathematical description of a travelling wave, we need a function of
both position x and time t. If we wish to describe a sinusoidal travelling
wave the corresponding function must also be sinusoidal. If the position
of the constituents of the medium is denoted by x, the displacement
from the equilibrium position may be denoted by y. A sinusoidal
travelling wave is then described by: y (x ,t)= a Sin(ωt – kx + φ0)
The term φ0= initial phase, a= amplitude, k= angular wave number,
ω=angular frequency ,
(ωt- kx + φ0)= phase angle. If the wave is travelling along -ve x-direction,
then y (x ,t)= a Sin(ωt +kx + φ0)
 N.S.N. MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

1.If equation of a sound wave is y=0.0015 sin(62.8x+314t) then its

wavelength will be (a) 0.1 unit (b) 0.2 unit (c) 0.3 unit (d) 2 unit
2.The displacement of a wave travelling in the X- direction is given by
Y=10-4sin (600t - 2x + π/3) Where x is expressed in metres & t in seconds.
The speed of wave motion is
(a) 300 (b)600 (c) 1200 (d) 200
3.The equation of the wave is given by y=10 sin( 2πt/30 + α) If
displacement is 5 cm at t=0 then the total phase at t=7.5 s will be
(a) π/3 rad (b) π/2 rad (c) 2π/5 rad (d) 2π/3
rad
4.The equation of progressive wave is y=5sin(100 πt – 0.4 πx),where y &
x are in m and t in s.
(1) The amplitude wave is 5m. (2) The wavelength of the wave
is 5 m.
(3) The frequency of the wave is 50 Hz. (4) The velocity of the wave is
250 m/s Which of the above statements are correct
(a) (1),(2) &(3) (b) (2) & (3) (c) (1) & (4) (d) All are correct
42 In a string, for example, a wave travelling in one direction will get
reflected at one end, which in turn will travel and get reflected from the
other end. This will go on until there is a steady wave pattern set up on
the string. Such wave patterns are called standing waves or stationary
waves. To see this mathematically, consider a wave travelling along the
positive direction of x-axis and a reflected wave of the same amplitude
and wavelength in the negative direction of x-axis Y1 = A sin (ωt – kx)
(Incident wave) Y2 = A sin (ωt + kx) (reflected wave) The stationary wave
formed by the superposition of the incident and reflected wave will be
 N.S.N. MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

Y = Y1+ Y2 = 2A cos kx sin ωt) Thus, in this wave pattern, the amplitude
varies from point-to-point, but each element of the string oscillates with
the same angular frequency ω or time period. There is no phase
difference between oscillations of different elements of the wave. The
string as a whole vibrates in phase with differing amplitudes at different
points. The wave pattern is neither moving to the right nor to the left.
The points at which the amplitude is zero (i.e., where there is no motion
at all) are nodes; the points at which the amplitude is the largest are
called antinodes.

1.The transverse displacement of a string (clamped at its both ends) is

given by y (x,t) = 0.06 sin (2πx/3) cos (120πt) All the points on the string
between two consecutive nodes vibrate with
(a) same frequency (b) same phase (c) same energy (d) different
amplitude
2.Which of the following statements are true for a stationary wave?
(a) Every particle has a fixed amplitude which is different from the
amplitude of its nearest particle. (b) All the particles cross their mean
position at the same time. (c) All the particles are oscillating with same
 N.S.N. MEMORIAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ThirumuruganSalai, Thirumurugan Nagar, Chitlapakkam, Chennai – 600064

amplitude. (d) There is no net transfer of energy across any plane. (e)
There are some particles which are always at rest
3.The equation of stationary wave in a stretched string is given by y = 5
sin ( πx/3) cos (40πt). The separation between two adjacent nodes is
(a)1.5cm (b) 3 cm (c) 6 cm (d) 4 cm
4.In a resonance tube we get
(a) Stationary longitudinal waves (b) Stationary transverse waves
(c) Progressive longitudinal waves (d) Progressive transverse waves
43 Figure shows two vibrating modes of an air column. Find the ratio of
frequencies of two modes.