IB DP Physics Standard Level (2023 syllabus) · IB ib-phys-sl
C Wave behaviour
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
Practice questions on Wave behaviour
- A star is observed from Earth. The light detected from the star shows that a particular sp… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain why an observer stationary beside a road hears a change in pitch of a car horn as … (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how the amplitude of a standing wave varies along its length, and distinguish betw… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how a standing wave is formed on a stretched string that is fixed at both ends, an… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain why a stretched string fixed at both ends can only vibrate at certain discrete fre… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain why the central maximum in a single-slit diffraction pattern becomes wider when th… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain why the fringes in a double-slit interference pattern become less bright and event… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how the wavelength and frequency of a wave are related to its speed, and describe … (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how the principle of superposition accounts for the formation of a standing wave w… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain why increasing the number of slits in a diffraction grating, while keeping the sli… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how the velocity and kinetic energy of an object undergoing simple harmonic motion… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how the acceleration of an object undergoing simple harmonic motion varies with di… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how resonance occurs in a closed pipe and why the pipe supports only odd harmonics… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how the superposition of two waves produces a standing wave, and state the conditi… (4 marks, Explain)
- A bat emits ultrasound pulses while flying towards a stationary wall. Explain why the freq… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain why two stationary observers, one standing directly in front of an approaching amb… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how astronomers use the Doppler effect to determine whether a distant galaxy is mo… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain why the total mechanical energy of an object undergoing simple harmonic motion rem… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain why the motion of a simple pendulum released from a small angle can be modelled as… (4 marks, Explain)
- Explain how the restoring force acting on an object undergoing simple harmonic motion (SHM… (4 marks, Explain)