All AP Physics 1 Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #2 : Wavelength And Amplitude
What is the wavelength of a radio station that broadcasts at 92.9MHz?
We need to know the speed of light, which is:
We can use this to calculate the wavelength of any electromagnetic wave if we know the frequency, using the equation:
If you're unsure of how to come about this equation, you should be able to derive it by looking at your units. Use our given values to solve for the wavelength:
Example Question #31 : Waves
A wave with a speed of has a frequency of 30Hz. What is the wavelength?
Since the wave has a frequency of 30Hz, we know it completes 30 cycles every second. As its velocity is , we also know that in that second, the wave has moved 10m. Dividing the total distance, 10m, by the number of cycles, 30, we get the number of meters travelled in each cycle which is the wavelength:
Example Question #31 : Waves
Given the speed of a wave as and the wavelength of 0.2m, find its frequency.
Speed is frequency times wavelength. So the frequency must be speed divided by wavelength. In this case:
This makes sense as in one second, the wave will have travelled 15m. Each meter is 5 cycles, so over the distance the wave has travelled in one second, it has completed cycles.
Example Question #32 : Waves
An equation of a wave is given by the following formula:
Here, is given in meters and is given in seconds. Determine the period of the wave in seconds.
A trigonometric equation given by the following formula
Here, is given in meters, is given in Hertz, is given in seconds, and is given in meters. The period is given by:
In our case:
Example Question #1 : Wavelength And Amplitude
The music we listen to on the radio is transmitted in the form of radio waves. You might have seen that a radio station on FM is broadcasted in , which is .
What is the wavelength of a radio wave if it's being transmitted on a frequency of ?
Radio waves travel at the speed of light . The relationship between wavelength, frequency, and wave speed is
, where is the wavelength and is the frequency.
In our case,
.
Therefore,
Example Question #3 : Wavelength And Amplitude
An original signal's frequency is halved by a resistor, and no other part of the wave is effected. Determine the change in the amplitude of the signal.
The amplitude is doubled
The amplitude is quadrupled
The amplitude is unchanged
The amplitude is halved
The amplitude is unchanged
Amplitude refers to the strength of a wave and has no relation to its frequency. Frequency would only affect the period and phase, but not the amplitude.
Example Question #33 : Waves
What is the wavelength of a wave if its velocity is ?
The relationship between wavelength and velocity is given by the equation;
The question gives us the velocity of the wave and its frequency. Using these values, we can solve for the wavelength.
Example Question #34 : Waves
A pendulum of length with a ball of mass is released at an angle away from the equilibrium point. Which of the following adjustments will result in an increase in frequency of oscillation?
Increasing the length
Increasing the initial angle
Increasing the ball's mass
Decreasing the length
Decreasing the ball's mass
Decreasing the length
For a pendulum on a string, the period at which it oscillates is:
Period is the reciprocal of frequency.
Calculate the frequency of oscillation.
The only parameter that the frequency depends on is the length . Decreasing length increases frequency.
Example Question #35 : Waves
The wavelength of a ray of light travelling through a vaccuum is . What is the period of this wave?
In this question, we're given the wavelength of light in a vaccuum. Since we know that the speed of light in a vaccuum is equal to , we can first calculate the frequency of the light, and then use this value to calculate its period.
To begin with, we'll need to make use of the following equation to solve for frequency.
Then, using this value, we can calculate the period by noting that the period is the inverse of frequency.
And for completion's sake, it is worth noting that the period refers to the amount of time it takes for one wavelength to pass, which in this case is a very, very small fraction of a second!
Example Question #4 : Frequency And Period
Waves are hitting the side of a pier in a regular fashion. During 1 minute, waves that hit the side of the pier. Calculate the period of the waves during this time in seconds.
Cannot be determined.
In order to calculate the period , we need to find the frequency, , at which the waves hit the pier. We are told that waves hit within a window. Therefore,
. We can then calculate the period from this information.
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