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Lesson 1: Waves & Energy Transfer — Practice Questions

  1. 1. What is the primary function of a wave?

    • A. To permanently move matter from one location to another.
    • B. To hold energy stationary within a medium.
    • C. To transport energy from one place to another.
    • D. To create new matter from energy.
  2. 2. A small boat is anchored in the middle of a lake. As a series of waves passes by, how will the boat move?

    • A. It will travel across the lake in the direction of the waves.
    • B. It will be pulled towards the source of the waves.
    • C. It will mostly bob up and down in its current location.
    • D. It will remain completely still as the waves pass under it.
  3. 3. Which statement best defines a wave as a type of disturbance?

    • A. A disturbance that causes matter to change its state permanently.
    • B. A disturbance that transfers energy without a net transport of matter.
    • C. A disturbance that moves both matter and energy together over a long distance.
    • D. A disturbance that converts all of a medium's matter into energy.
  4. 4. Which of the following is NOT transported over a long distance by a wave itself?

    • A. Energy
    • B. Matter
    • C. A disturbance
    • D. A pattern of motion
  5. 5. A person creates a wave by flicking one end of a long rope. What is being transferred from the person's hand down the length of the rope?

    • A. The rope itself
    • B. Air particles
    • C. Energy
    • D. A permanent bend
  6. 6. In the context of wave motion, what is the scientific term for the substance that a wave travels through?

    • A. A pattern
    • B. A medium
    • C. A carrier
    • D. A particle
  7. 7. Which term best describes the motion of particles in a medium as a wave passes?

    • A. Propulsion
    • B. Transference
    • C. Oscillation
    • D. Displacement
  8. 8. A small boat is anchored in the middle of a calm lake. If a series of waves passes by, what will be the most likely motion of the boat?

    • A. It will be pushed across the lake in the direction of the waves.
    • B. It will remain completely still as the waves pass underneath it.
    • C. It will be pulled backward against the direction of the waves.
    • D. It will bob up and down but stay in roughly the same location.
  9. 9. If you send a single wave pulse down a long, stretched spring, what is actually traveling from one end to the other?

    • A. The spring's coils
    • B. Air molecules
    • C. The entire spring itself
    • D. A pattern of energy
  10. 10. Sound from a speaker travels through the air to your ears. In this example, what is the medium for the sound wave?

    • A. The speaker
    • B. The sound
    • C. The air
    • D. Your ears