Lesson 5.1.1

5.1.1 Wave terms and the wave equation Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 5.1.1, Wave terms and the wave equation: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 5: Waves and Particle Nature of Light, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What is meant by the wavelength of a progressive wave?

    • The maximum displacement of a point from its equilibrium position
    • The number of complete waves passing a point each second
    • The shortest distance between two points that are in phase
    • The distance a particle travels in one complete cycle

  2. What is the amplitude of a wave?

    • The maximum displacement of a point on the wave from its equilibrium position
    • The time taken for one complete oscillation
    • The number of oscillations per second
    • The distance between two adjacent crests

  3. What is meant by the frequency of a wave?

    • The distance travelled by the wave in one second
    • The number of complete oscillations per second, measured in hertz
    • The maximum displacement of a point on the wave
    • The time for one complete oscillation, measured in seconds

  4. What is meant by the period of a wave?

    • The number of oscillations per second
    • The time for one complete oscillation, equal to 1/f
    • The distance between successive crests
    • The maximum speed of a particle in the wave

  5. Which equation relates wave speed v, frequency f and wavelength lambda?

    • v = f lambda
    • v = lambda/f
    • v = f^2 lambda
    • v = f/lambda

  6. When a wave passes from one medium into another, which quantity stays the same?

    • Wave speed
    • Frequency
    • Both speed and wavelength
    • Wavelength

  7. Which separation between two points on a wave means they are in phase?

    • Any distance at all
    • A whole number of wavelengths
    • A quarter of a wavelength
    • Half a wavelength

  8. A sound wave of frequency 512 Hz travels at 340 m/s in air. What is its wavelength?

    • 0.66 m
    • 174000 m
    • 1.5 m
    • 0.0015 m

  9. A wave has frequency 50 Hz. What is its period?

    • 0.50 s
    • 50 s
    • 0.020 s
    • 0.0020 s

  10. A wave has wavelength 0.40 m and frequency 20 Hz. What is its speed?

    • 20 m/s
    • 2.5 m/s
    • 0.050 m/s
    • 8.0 m/s

  11. An ultrasound wave of frequency 2.0 MHz travels at 1500 m/s in body tissue. What is its wavelength?

    • 7.5 mm
    • 0.75 mm
    • 3.0 mm
    • 0.075 mm

  12. A displacement-time graph shows that one complete cycle of a wave takes 4.0 ms. What is its frequency?

    • 250 Hz
    • 2.5 kHz
    • 4.0 Hz
    • 0.25 Hz

  13. A wave of wavelength 2.5 m travels 40 m in 0.50 s. How many complete waves pass a fixed point in that time?

    • 8
    • 32
    • 4
    • 16

  14. Two points on a wave of wavelength 0.12 m are 0.30 m apart. What is their phase difference?

    • 0 degrees
    • 180 degrees, or half a cycle
    • 90 degrees
    • 360 degrees

  15. On a wave, the distance between successive crests is 0.85 m and the frequency is 400 Hz. What is the wave speed?

    • 0.0021 m/s
    • 340 m/s
    • 34 m/s
    • 470 m/s

  16. A student says that doubling the frequency of a wave always doubles its speed in a given medium. Which evaluation is correct?

    • Incorrect, because speed depends on the medium, so doubling the frequency halves the wavelength while the speed stays the same
    • Incorrect, because the frequency of a wave cannot be changed
    • Correct, because v = f always holds with f alone determining speed
    • Correct, because the wavelength is constant in any medium

  17. A wave in air has wavelength 0.80 m at frequency 425 Hz. It enters water, where its wavelength becomes 3.4 m with the same frequency. What is its speed in water?

    • 4.3 x 10^2 m/s
    • 1.8 x 10^2 m/s
    • 1.4 x 10^3 m/s
    • 3.2 x 10^2 m/s

  18. A wave of wavelength 0.20 m and frequency 15 Hz travels along a rope a distance of 90 m. How long does it take?

    • 6.7 s
    • 1.5 s
    • 270 s
    • 30 s

  19. A student measures a period of 0.040 s and writes the frequency as 0.040 Hz. What is the error?

    • The period should be 40 Hz rather than 0.040 s
    • Frequency equals wavelength divided by speed, so the answer is correct
    • Frequency is 1/T = 25 Hz, so the student has not inverted the period
    • Frequency and period are equal, so 0.040 Hz is correct

  20. Two points on a wave have a phase difference of 3 pi/2 radians. What is their path difference in wavelengths?

    • 0.25 wavelength
    • 1.5 wavelengths
    • 0.50 wavelength
    • 0.75 wavelength

All Pearson Edexcel Physics quizzes