PRACTICE PROBLEMS: TRANSVERSE WAVES

SINGLE CORRECT
Q.1 The equation of a wave travelling along the positive x-axis, as shown in
figure at t = 0 is given by
§ S· § S·
§ S· ¨ kx  Zt  ¸ § S·
(A) sin ¨ kx  Zt  ¸ (B) sin © 6 ¹ (C) sin ¨ Zt  kx  ¸ (D) sin ¨© Zt  kx  6 ¸¹
© 6¹ © 6¹
Q.2 A uniform rope having some mass hanges vertically from a rigid support. A transverse wave pulse is
produced at the lower end. The speed (v) of the wave pulse varies with height (h) from the lower end as:

(A) (B) (C) (D)

Q.3 A pulse shown here is reflected from the rigid wall A

and then from free end B. The shape of the string
after these 2 reflection will be

(A) (B)

(C) (D)

Q.4 A wave pulse on a string has the dimension shown in figure. The waves
speed is v = 1 cm/s. If point O is a free end. The shape of wave at time
t = 3 s is :

(A) (B) (C) (D)

Q.5 A string 1m long is drawn by a 300Hz vibrator attached to its end. The string vibrates in 3 segments.
The speed of transverse waves in the string is equal to
(A) 100 m/s (B) 200 m/s (C) 300 m/s (D) 400 m/s
Q.6 A wave is represented by the equation y = 10 sin 2S(100t0.02x) + 10 sin 2S(100t+0.02x).
The maximum amplitude and loop length are respectively
(A) 20 units and 30 units (B) 20 units and 25 units
(C) 30 units and 20 units (D) 25 units and 20 units
Q.7 The resultant amplitude due to superposition of two waves y1 = 5sin (wt  kx) and
y2 = 5 cos (wt  kx 150°)
(A) 5 (B) 5 3 (C) 5 2  3 (D) 5 2  3
Q.8 A wave represented by the equation y = A cos (kx –Zt) is superimposed with another wave to form a
statioary wave such that the point x =0 is a node. The equation of the other wave is:
(A) –A sin (kx +Zt) (B) – A cos (kx + Zt) (C) A sin (kx + Zt) (D) A cos (kx + Zt)
Transverse Wave Page 2

Q.9 A taut string at both ends vibrates in its nth overtone. The distance between adjacent Node and Antinode
is found to be 'd'. If the length of the string is L, then
(A) L = 2d (n + 1) (B) L = d (n + 1) (C) L = 2dn (D) L = 2d (n – 1)
Q.10 A metallic wire of length L is fixed between two rigid supports. If the wire is cooled through a temperature
difference 'T (Y = young’s modulus, U = density, D = coefficient of linear expansion) then the frequency
of transverse vibration is proportional to :
D YD U UD
(A) UY (B) (C) (D)
U YD Y
§ 20 ·
Q.11 A standing wave y = A sin ¨© S x¸¹ cos (1000St) is maintained in a taut string where y and x are
3
expressed in meters. The distance between the successive points oscillating with the amplitude A/2
across a node is equal to
(A) 2.5cm (B) 25cm (C) 5cm (D) 10cm
Q.12 A string of length 1m and linear mass density 0.01kgm1 is stretched to a tension of 100N. When both
ends of the string are fixed, the three lowest frequencies for standing wave are f1, f2 and f3. When only
one end of the string is fixed, the three lowest frequencies for standing wave are n1, n2 and n3. Then
(A) n3 = 5n1 = f3 = 125 Hz (B) f3 = 5f1 = n2 = 125 Hz
f1  f 2
(C) f3 = n2 = 3f1 = 150 Hz (D) n2 = = 75 Hz
2
Q.13 The frequency of a sonometer wire is f, but when the weights producing the tensions are completely
immersed in water the frequency becomes f/2 and on immersing the weights in a certain liquid the
frequency becomes f/3. The specific gravity of the liquid is:
4 16 15 32
(A) (B) (C) (D)
3 9 12 27
MULTI - CORRECT

Q.14 A sinusoidal progressive wave is generated in a string. It’s equation is given by

y = (2 mm) sin (2Sx – 100 St + S/3). The time when particle at x = 4 m first passes through mean
position, will be
1 1 1 1
(A) sec (B) sec (C) sec (D) sec
150 12 300 100
Q.15 A transverse wave is described by the equation y = A sin [2S (f t – x/O) ].The maximum particle velocity
is equal to four times the wave velocity if:
(A) O = SA/4 (B) O = SA/2 (C) O = SA (D) O = 2SA
Q.16 A wave equation is given as y = cos(500t – 70x), where y is in mm, x in m adn t is in sec.
(A) the wave must be a transverse porpagating wave.
(B) The speed of the wave is 50/7 m/s
(C) The frequency of oscillations 1000S Hz
(D) Two closest points which are in same phase have separation 20S/7 cm.
Q.17 At a certain moment, the photograph of a string on which a harmonic
wave is travelling to the right is shown. Then, which of the following is
true regarding the velocities of the points P, Q and R on the string.
(A) vP is upwards (B) vQ = – vR
(C) | vP | > | vQ | = | vR | (D) vQ = vR
Transverse Wave Page 3

Question No. 5 to 8 (4 questions)

The figure represents the instantaneous picture of a transverse harmonic wave
traveling along the negative x-axis. Choose the correct alternative(s)
related to the movement of the nine points shown in the figure.
Q.18 The points moving upward is/are
(A) a (B) c (C) f (D) g
Q.19 The points moving downwards is/are
(A) o (B) b (C) d (D) h
Q.20 The stationary points is/are
(A) o (B) b (C) f (D) h
Q.21 The points moving with maximum velocity is/are
(A) b (B) c (C) d (D) h
Q22 A perfectly elastic uniform string is suspended vertically with its upper end fixed to the ceiling and the
lower end loaded with the weight. If a transverse wave is imparted to the lower end of the string, the
pulse will
(A) not travel along the length of the string (B) travel upwards with increasing speed
(C) travel upwards with decreasing speed (D) travelled upwards with constant acceleration
Q.23 One end of a string of length L is tied to the ceiling of a lift accelerating upwards with an acceleration 2g.
The other end of the string is free. The linear mass density of the string varies linearly from 0 to O from
bottom to top.
(A) The velocity of the wave in the string will be 0.
(B) The acceleration of the wave on the string will be 3g/4 every where.
(C) The time taken by a pulse to reach from bottom to top will be 8L / 3g .
(D) The time taken by a pulse to reach from bottom to top will be 4L / 3g .
Q.24 The vibration of a string fixed at both ends are described by Y= 2 sin(Sx) sin(100St) where Y is in mm,x
is in cm,t in sec then
(A)Maximum displacement of the particle at x = 1/6 cm would be 1 mm.
(B) velocity of the particle at x = 1/6 cm at time t = 1/600 sec will be 157 —3 mm/s
(C) If the length of the string be 10 cm, number of loop in it would be 5
(D) None of these
Q.25 In a standing wave on a string.
(A) In one time period all the particles are simultaneously at rest twice.
(B) All the particles must be at their positive extremes simultaneously once in one time period.
(C) All the particles may be at their positive extremes simultaneouslyonce in a time period.
(D) All the particles are never at rest simultaneously.
Q.26 A standing wave pattern of amplitude A in a string of length L shows 2 nodes (plus those at two ends). If
one end of the string corresponds to the origin and v is the speed of progressive wave, the disturbance
in the string, could be represented (with appropriate phase) as:
§ 2Sx · § 2 Svt · § 3Sx · § 3Svt ·
(A) y ( x , t ) A sin ¨ ¸ cos¨ ¸ (B) y( x , t ) A cos¨ ¸ sin ¨ ¸
© L ¹ © L ¹ © L ¹ © L ¹
§ 4Sx · § 4 Svt · § 3Sx · § 3Svt ·
(C) y ( x, t ) A cos¨ ¸ cos¨ ¸ (D) y( x , t ) A sin ¨ ¸ cos¨ ¸
© L ¹ © L ¹ © L ¹ © L ¹
Transverse Wave Page 4

Q.27 The length, tension, diameter and density of a wire B are double than the corresponding quantities for
another stretched wire A. Then.
1
(A) Fundamental frequency of B is times that of A.
2 2
1
(B) The velocity of wave in B is times that of velocity in A.
2
(C) The fundamental frequency of A is equal to the third overtone of B.
(D) The velocity of wave in B is half that of velocity in A.
Q.28 A string is fixed at both ends vibrates in a resonant mode with a separation 2.0 cm between the consecutive
nodes. For the next higher resonant frequency, this separation is reduced to 1.6 cm. The length of the
string is
(A) 4.0 cm (B) 8.0 cm (C) 12.0 cm (D) 16.0 cm
Q.29 A clamped string is oscillating in nth harmonic, then
(A) total energy of oscillations will be n2 times that of fundamental frequency
(B) total energy of oscillations will be (n–1)2 times that of fundamental frequency
(C) average kinetic energy of the string over a complete oscillations is half of that of the total
energy of the string.
(D) none of these

ANSWER KEY

Q.1 D Q.2 C Q.3 A Q.4 D

Q.5 B Q.6 B Q.7 A Q.8 B
Q.9 A Q.10 B Q.11 C Q.12 D
Q.13 D Q.14 C Q.15 B Q.16 A,B,D
Q.17 C,D Q.18 A,D Q.19 C Q.20 B,C
Q.21 C,D Q.22 B,D Q.23 B,C Q.24 A,B
Q.25 A,C Q.26 D Q.27 C,D Q.28 B
Q.29 A,C