physics MCQs

1

Which type of waves propagate due to oscillations of electric and magnetic fields?

A

Mechanical waves

B

Electromagnetic waves

C

Progressive waves

D

Sound waves

2

A wave which transfers energy by moving away from the source of disturbance is called a?

A

Stationary wave

B

Mechanical wave

C

Progressive wave

D

Electromagnetic wave

3

In which type of waves are the particles of the medium displaced in a direction perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation?

A

Longitudinal waves

B

Compressional waves

C

Transverse waves

D

Sound waves

4

What is the distance between any two consecutive crests or troughs called?

A

Frequency

B

Amplitude

C

Period

D

Wavelength

5

The relationship between wave speed (v), frequency (f), and wavelength (λ) is given by the equation:

A

v = f / λ

B

v = λ / f

C

f = v * λ

D

v = f * λ

6

Points on a wave that are separated by a distance of λ, 2λ, 3λ are said to be:

A

Out of phase

B

In phase

C

At equilibrium

D

In opposite phase

7

Any two points on a wave separated from one another by λ/2, 3λ/2, 5λ/2 are:

A

In phase

B

Constructive

C

Out of phase

D

Resonating

8

Sound waves are the most important examples of which type of waves?

A

Transverse waves

B

Electromagnetic waves

C

Longitudinal waves

D

Light waves

9

According to Newton's assumptions for the speed of sound in air, what remains constant during compression?

A

Pressure

B

Volume

C

Temperature

D

Density

10

Who pointed out the flaw in Newton's formula for the speed of sound, suggesting compressions and rarefactions occur rapidly?

A

Hooke

B

Young

C

Einstein

D

Laplace

11

What is the value of γ (gamma) for diatomic gases like air?

A

1.67

B

1.29

C

1.40

D

2.00

12

How does the speed of sound in a gas change with an increase in temperature at constant pressure?

A

It decreases

B

It remains constant

C

It increases

D

It becomes zero

13

The speed of sound in a gas is directly proportional to the square root of the:

A

Pressure

B

Density

C

Absolute temperature

D

Volume

14

The formula vt = v0 + 0.61t shows that for every 1°C rise in temperature, the speed of sound increases by:

A

0.61 ms⁻¹

B

1 ms⁻¹

C

6.1 ms⁻¹

D

0.5 ms⁻¹

15

When two waves encounter each other in the same medium, their individual displacements add up. This is known as:

A

Doppler Effect

B

Interference

C

Reflection

D

Principle of Superposition

16

The superposition of two waves having the same frequency and travelling in the same direction results in:

A

Beats

B

Stationary waves

C

Interference

D

Doppler effect

17

For constructive interference to occur, the path difference between two waves must be:

A

nλ / 2

B

(2n+1)λ / 2

C

nλ

D

(n+1)λ

18

For destructive interference, the path difference between two waves must be an odd integral multiple of:

A

Wavelength

B

Half the wavelength

C

Twice the wavelength

D

Quarter of the wavelength

19

The phenomenon of alternately increasing and decreasing sound intensity due to the interference of two waves with slightly different frequencies is called?

A

Resonance

B

Interference

C

Doppler Effect

D

Beats

20

The number of beats per second is equal to the:

A

Sum of the frequencies

B

Product of the frequencies

C

Ratio of the frequencies

D

Difference between the frequencies

21

When a transverse wave travelling in a rarer medium reflects from a denser medium, it undergoes a phase change of:

A

0°

B

90°

C

180°

D

270°

22

When a transverse wave travelling in a denser medium reflects from the boundary of a rarer medium, its phase change is:

A

180°

B

90°

C

45°

D

0°

23

In a stationary wave, the points that always remain at rest are called:

A

Antinodes

B

Crests

C

Troughs

D

Nodes

24

In a stationary wave, the points that move with maximum amplitude are called:

A

Nodes

B

Antinodes

C

Equilibrium points

D

Zero points

25

What is the distance between two consecutive nodes in a stationary wave?

A

λ/4

B

λ

C

λ/2

D

2λ

26

The distance between a node and the next antinode in a stationary wave is:

A

λ/2

B

λ

C

λ/4

D

2λ

27

The speed of a transverse wave in a stretched string (v) is given by the formula:

A

v = √(F * m)

B

v = √(F / m)

C

v = F / m

D

v = F * m

28

The lowest frequency (f1) that a string can emit is known as the:

A

Overtone

B

Second harmonic

C

Fundamental frequency

D

Beat frequency

29

When a string vibrates in 'n' loops, its frequency fn is related to the fundamental frequency f1 by:

A

fn = f1 / n

B

fn = n * f1

C

fn = n + f1

D

fn = f1

30

In an organ pipe open at both ends, what is formed at the ends?

A

Nodes

B

Antinodes

C

Crests

D

Rarefactions

31

In an organ pipe closed at one end, what is formed at the closed end?

A

An antinode

B

A crest

C

A node

D

A trough

32

An organ pipe closed at one end can only generate which type of harmonics?

A

Even harmonics

B

All harmonics

C

Odd harmonics

D

First three harmonics

33

The apparent change in frequency due to relative motion between a source and an observer is called:

A

Interference

B

The Beats Phenomenon

C

The Doppler Effect

D

The Superposition Principle

34

When a sound source moves towards a stationary observer, the apparent frequency heard by the observer:

A

Decreases

B

Increases

C

Remains unchanged

D

Becomes zero

35

When an observer moves away from a stationary sound source, the apparent frequency heard by the observer:

A

Increases

B

Becomes infinite

C

Remains unchanged

D

Decreases

36

Astronomers observe a 'blue shift' in the spectrum of a star. This means the star is:

A

Moving away from Earth

B

Stationary relative to Earth

C

Moving towards Earth

D

Rotating rapidly

37

A 'red shift' in the spectrum of light from a distant galaxy indicates that the galaxy is:

A

Moving towards Earth

B

Moving away from Earth

C

Not moving

D

A new galaxy

38

What technology uses the Doppler effect with radio waves to determine the speed of an aeroplane?

A

Sonar

B

Ultrasound

C

Radar

D

CRO

39

What technique uses the Doppler effect with underwater sound waves to detect objects like submarines?

A

Radar

B

Echolocation

C

Sonar

D

Telescopy

40

What is the speed of sound in air at S.T.P. according to the Laplace corrected formula?

A

280 ms⁻¹

B

333 ms⁻¹

C

340 ms⁻¹

D

972 ms⁻¹

41

Shock waves are generated by an object moving at a speed:

A

Equal to the speed of sound

B

Slower than the speed of sound

C

Slightly slower than the speed of sound

D

Faster than the speed of sound (supersonic)

42

In periodic waves, the crest is a pattern where the medium is displaced:

A

Below its equilibrium position

B

Along the direction of motion

C

Above its equilibrium position

D

Opposite to the direction of motion

43

The condition for destructive interference is when the path difference ΔS is:

A

nλ

B

(n+1)λ/2

C

(2n+1)λ/2

D

2nλ

44

For a string fixed at both ends and vibrating in one loop, the wavelength λ1 is related to its length l by:

A

λ1 = l

B

λ1 = l/2

C

λ1 = 2l

D

λ1 = 4l

45

The frequencies f1, 2f1, 3f1....nf1 are known as the:

A

Beat series

B

Doppler series

C

Harmonic series

D

Interference series

46

The experimental value of the speed of sound in air at S.T.P. is approximately:

A

280 ms⁻¹

B

332 ms⁻¹

C

1286 ms⁻¹

D

5130 ms⁻¹

47

When a sound wave travels through air, the changes in pressure and volume are considered to be:

A

Isothermal

B

Isobaric

C

Adiabatic

D

Isochoric

48

The human ear can typically hear frequencies in the range of:

A

150-150,000 Hz

B

1000-120,000 Hz

C

60-70,000 Hz

D

20-20,000 Hz

49

Waves transport without transporting .

A

Matter, energy

B

Energy, matter

C

Frequency, wavelength

D

Speed, particles

50

When a musician plucks a guitar-string, what type of waves are generated?

A

Water waves

B

Shock waves

C

Electromagnetic waves

D

Sound waves

Which type of waves propagate due to oscillations of electric and magnetic fields?

A wave which transfers energy by moving away from the source of disturbance is called a?

In which type of waves are the particles of the medium displaced in a direction perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation?

What is the distance between any two consecutive crests or troughs called?

The relationship between wave speed (v), frequency (f), and wavelength (λ) is given by the equation:

Points on a wave that are separated by a distance of λ, 2λ, 3λ are said to be:

Any two points on a wave separated from one another by λ/2, 3λ/2, 5λ/2 are:

Sound waves are the most important examples of which type of waves?

According to Newton's assumptions for the speed of sound in air, what remains constant during compression?

Who pointed out the flaw in Newton's formula for the speed of sound, suggesting compressions and rarefactions occur rapidly?

What is the value of γ (gamma) for diatomic gases like air?

How does the speed of sound in a gas change with an increase in temperature at constant pressure?

The speed of sound in a gas is directly proportional to the square root of the:

The formula vt = v0 + 0.61t shows that for every 1°C rise in temperature, the speed of sound increases by:

When two waves encounter each other in the same medium, their individual displacements add up. This is known as:

The superposition of two waves having the same frequency and travelling in the same direction results in:

For constructive interference to occur, the path difference between two waves must be:

For destructive interference, the path difference between two waves must be an odd integral multiple of:

The phenomenon of alternately increasing and decreasing sound intensity due to the interference of two waves with slightly different frequencies is called?

The number of beats per second is equal to the:

When a transverse wave travelling in a rarer medium reflects from a denser medium, it undergoes a phase change of:

When a transverse wave travelling in a denser medium reflects from the boundary of a rarer medium, its phase change is:

In a stationary wave, the points that always remain at rest are called:

In a stationary wave, the points that move with maximum amplitude are called:

What is the distance between two consecutive nodes in a stationary wave?

The distance between a node and the next antinode in a stationary wave is:

The speed of a transverse wave in a stretched string (v) is given by the formula:

The lowest frequency (f1) that a string can emit is known as the:

When a string vibrates in 'n' loops, its frequency fn is related to the fundamental frequency f1 by:

In an organ pipe open at both ends, what is formed at the ends?

In an organ pipe closed at one end, what is formed at the closed end?

An organ pipe closed at one end can only generate which type of harmonics?

The apparent change in frequency due to relative motion between a source and an observer is called:

When a sound source moves towards a stationary observer, the apparent frequency heard by the observer:

When an observer moves away from a stationary sound source, the apparent frequency heard by the observer:

Astronomers observe a 'blue shift' in the spectrum of a star. This means the star is:

A 'red shift' in the spectrum of light from a distant galaxy indicates that the galaxy is:

What technology uses the Doppler effect with radio waves to determine the speed of an aeroplane?

What technique uses the Doppler effect with underwater sound waves to detect objects like submarines?

What is the speed of sound in air at S.T.P. according to the Laplace corrected formula?

Shock waves are generated by an object moving at a speed:

In periodic waves, the crest is a pattern where the medium is displaced:

The condition for destructive interference is when the path difference ΔS is:

For a string fixed at both ends and vibrating in one loop, the wavelength λ1 is related to its length l by:

The frequencies f1, 2f1, 3f1....nf1 are known as the:

The experimental value of the speed of sound in air at S.T.P. is approximately:

When a sound wave travels through air, the changes in pressure and volume are considered to be:

The human ear can typically hear frequencies in the range of:

Waves transport ____ without transporting ____.

When a musician plucks a guitar-string, what type of waves are generated?

Waves transport without transporting .