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 is transferred by a progressive wave as it travels through a medium?

    • Energy only
    • Energy and matter
    • Matter only
    • Mass 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 term describes the maximum displacement of an oscillating particle from its equilibrium position?

    • Frequency
    • Phase difference
    • Wavelength
    • Amplitude

  6. What term describes the minimum distance between two points oscillating in phase on a wave?

    • Path difference
    • Amplitude
    • Wavelength
    • Frequency

  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. How many full oscillations does a particle complete in one period of a wave?

    • Two full oscillations
    • Half an oscillation
    • One full oscillation
    • Zero oscillations

  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. What minimum distance separates adjacent points on a wave that oscillate in phase?

    • Half a wavelength
    • Quarter wavelength
    • One wavelength
    • Two wavelengths

  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. What quantity is transferred across a medium by a progressive wave?

    • Matter
    • Energy
    • Mass
    • Particles

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