Lesson 3.3.1.1

3.3.1.1 Progressive waves Quiz: AQA Physics, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.3.1.1, Progressive waves: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Physics (7408), Unit 3: Waves, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What does a progressive wave transfer?

    • Energy, without a net transfer of matter
    • Matter only
    • Matter and energy
    • Electric charge only

  2. What is the phase difference corresponding to one complete cycle, in degrees?

    • 360 degrees
    • 90 degrees
    • 720 degrees
    • 180 degrees

  3. What is the period of a wave with frequency 50 Hz?

    • 0.02 s
    • 50 s
    • 0.2 s
    • 0.5 s

  4. A wave has frequency 250 Hz and wavelength 1.36 m. What is its speed?

    • 184 m/s
    • 0.18 m/s
    • 340 m/s
    • 3400 m/s

  5. What is the amplitude of a progressive wave?

    • The number of cycles per second
    • The distance travelled by the wave in one period
    • The distance between two adjacent crests
    • The maximum displacement of a particle from its equilibrium position

  6. What is the wavelength of a progressive wave?

    • The number of oscillations per second
    • The maximum displacement of a particle
    • The distance between two adjacent points in phase
    • The time for one complete cycle

  7. A water wave has wavelength 0.20 m and frequency 5.0 Hz. What is its speed?

    • 25 m/s
    • 0.4 m/s
    • 1.0 m/s
    • 0.04 m/s

  8. Sound travels at 340 m/s and has frequency 170 Hz. What is its wavelength?

    • 2.0 mm
    • 0.5 m
    • 2.0 m
    • 20 m

  9. Two points on a wave are 0.25 m apart and the wavelength is 1.0 m. What is their phase difference?

    • pi rad (180 degrees)
    • pi/4 rad (45 degrees)
    • 2pi rad (360 degrees)
    • pi/2 rad (90 degrees)

  10. Two points are 0.30 m apart on a wave of wavelength 0.40 m. What is their phase difference?

    • pi/2 rad (90 degrees)
    • 4pi rad (720 degrees)
    • pi rad (180 degrees)
    • 3pi/2 rad (270 degrees)

  11. A wave has a period of 4.0 ms. What is its frequency?

    • 4000 Hz
    • 0.004 Hz
    • 250 Hz
    • 4.0 Hz

  12. A wave travels 30 m in 6.0 s and has wavelength 0.50 m. What is its frequency?

    • 5 Hz
    • 2.5 Hz
    • 0.1 Hz
    • 10 Hz

  13. After exactly one period, where is a particle of a progressive wave compared with its earlier position?

    • At maximum displacement
    • At equilibrium moving backwards
    • Back in the same position, moving in the same way
    • At rest

  14. A wave of frequency 500 Hz has wavelength 0.68 m in air. Its speed in water is 1500 m/s. What is its wavelength in water?

    • 0.34 m
    • 0.68 m
    • 3.0 m
    • 750 m

  15. If the amplitude of a progressive wave is doubled while its frequency is unchanged, what happens to its speed?

    • It is unchanged
    • It quadruples
    • It halves
    • It doubles

  16. On a displacement-distance graph the wavelength is 0.8 m. What is the distance from a crest to the next trough?

    • 0.8 m
    • 1.6 m
    • 0.2 m
    • 0.4 m

  17. A wave has displacement y = 0.05 sin(10πt) m. What is its frequency?

    • 10π Hz
    • 10 Hz
    • 0.05 Hz
    • 5 Hz

  18. Which statement about phase is correct?

    • Points in phase differ by half a wavelength
    • Points in phase differ by a quarter wavelength
    • Points in phase differ by a whole number of wavelengths
    • Points in phase have opposite displacements

  19. A sound wave in air has frequency 400 Hz and speed 340 m/s. How long is one cycle?

    • 2.5 s
    • 0.4 s
    • 0.025 s
    • 0.0025 s

  20. A student claims water in a lake is carried across the lake by a wave. What is the best response?

    • The water moves along with the wave to the shore
    • The wave carries energy, while the water particles only oscillate about fixed positions
    • The wave carries matter and energy equally
    • Waves carry neither matter nor energy

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