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Waves MCQs for MDCAT Practice

Physics section, Waves chapter. Up to eight free sample questions, each with the correct answer and a worked explanation. The full chapter opens in the app.

The bank has 1,466 active questions on this chapter. Your first 500 practice attempts are free, and every attempt includes a worked explanation.

  1. Question 1
    In Young’s Double Slit Experiment, if the distance between slits and screen is doubled, then fringe spacing becomes:
    • Zero
    • Double the original value (correct answer)
    • One
    • Half of the original value
    Correct answer: B
    In Young's double-slit experiment, doubling the screen distance directly doubles the fringe spacing, as fringe width is directly proportional to the distance between the slits and the screen.
  2. Question 2
    When a wave goes from one medium to another medium, which one one of the following characteristics of the wave remains constant?
    • Velocity
    • Wavelength
    • Frequency (correct answer)
    • Phase
    Correct answer: C
    When a wave crosses into a new medium, its frequency remains constant, while velocity and wavelength change, dictated by the medium's properties.
  3. Question 3
    Newton’s rings may be observed if you place a curved glass surface on a flat grass surface. A thin film of air is wedged between the glass surface. Looking down, one can see several rings around the point where the two glass surfaces touch. Newton’s rings are produced by:
    • Interference (correct answer)
    • Diffraction
    • Polarization
    • Absorption
    • Shadows
    Correct answer: A
    Newton's rings, observed as colorful concentric circles, arise from the constructive and destructive interference of light waves reflecting off a thin air film between two surfaces.
  4. Question 4
    In a stationary wave, all particles are:
    • at rest at the same time twice in every period of oscillation (correct answer)
    • at rest at the same time only once in every period of oscillation
    • never at rest at the same time
    • never at rest at all
    Correct answer: A
    Stationary waves have all particles momentarily at rest twice per oscillation cycle, at the points of maximum displacement.
  5. Question 5
    The new position of a wave front time t is determined by using:
    • Huygen’s principle (correct answer)
    • Michelson interferometer
    • Young’s double slit experiment
    • Bragg’s formula
    Correct answer: A
    Huygen's principle is the fundamental concept used to predict the future position of a wave front by considering each point on the wave as a source of secondary wavelets.
  6. Question 6
    Which of the following statements about speed of sound v, and temperature is correct?
    • V is directly related to temperature
    • V is directly related to square root of temperature
    • V is directly related to absolute temperature
    • V is directly related to square root of absolute temperature (correct answer)
    Correct answer: D
    Sound speed in gases increases with temperature, specifically proportional to the square root of absolute temperature, reflecting increased molecular kinetic energy.
  7. Question 7
    Two travelling waves of the "same frequency", "same amplitude", and travelling in "opposite direction" result in?
    • Beats
    • Standing waves (correct answer)
    • Diffraction
    • None of these options are correct
    Correct answer: B
    When identical waves travel in opposite directions, they interfere to form a stationary pattern known as a standing wave, not beats or diffraction.
  8. Question 8
    In a vibrating cord the point where the particles are stationary is called:
    • Crest
    • Anti-node
    • Node (correct answer)
    • Trough
    Correct answer: C
    Identify the stationary points in a vibrating cord, a fundamental concept in understanding standing waves and resonance.

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