Here’s a set of 60 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on the topic of Simple Harmonic Motion and Waves, tailored for BISE Gujranwala. The questions are categorized into easy (30%), moderate (40%), and tough (30%) levels, with answers provided at the end.
MCQs Bank: Simple Harmonic Motion and Waves
Easy Questions (18)
1. What is the definition of simple harmonic motion (SHM)?
- A) Motion that occurs in a straight line
- B) Motion that is periodic and oscillatory
- C) Motion that has constant velocity
- D) Motion that does not repeat
2. In a ball and bowl system, which position represents stable equilibrium?
- A) At the bottom of the bowl
- B) At the top of the bowl
- C) At the sides of the bowl
- D) None of the above
3. The time taken to complete one full oscillation in SHM is called:
- A) Frequency
- B) Period
- C) Amplitude
- D) Velocity
4. A simple pendulum exhibits SHM when:
- A) The angle of displacement is large
- B) The angle of displacement is small
- C) It is swinging freely
- D) It is stationary
5. Damped oscillations occur when:
- A) Energy is added to the system
- B) Energy is lost from the system
- C) The system is isolated
- D) The motion is accelerated
6. Which of the following is a characteristic of wave motion?
- A) It requires a medium to travel
- B) It cannot transport energy
- C) It occurs only in liquids
- D) It is instantaneous
7. The waves produced on a string when plucked are an example of:
- A) Longitudinal waves
- B) Surface waves
- C) Transverse waves
- D) Standing waves
8. The frequency of a wave is defined as:
- A) The distance between two consecutive peaks
- B) The number of oscillations per second
- C) The speed of the wave
- D) The maximum displacement from the mean position
9. Which type of wave can travel through a vacuum?
- A) Sound waves
- B) Mechanical waves
- C) Electromagnetic waves
- D) Water waves
10. In the context of waves, what does "wavelength" refer to?
- A) The time taken for one complete cycle
- B) The distance between two consecutive compressions
- C) The distance between two consecutive crests
- D) The speed of the wave
11. The relationship between wave speed (v), frequency (f), and wavelength (λ) is given by:
- A) v = f × Î»
- B) v = λ/f
- C) v = f + λ
- D) v = f - λ
12. A ripple tank is used to demonstrate:
- A) The motion of pendulums
- B) The properties of waves
- C) The effect of damping
- D) The behavior of gases
13. Refraction occurs when:
- A) Waves bounce back from a barrier
- B) Waves change direction as they pass from one medium to another
- C) Waves interfere with each other
- D) Waves travel in a straight line
14. Diffraction is the bending of waves around:
- A) Obstacles
- B) Curved surfaces
- C) Flat surfaces
- D) None of the above
15. A sound wave is an example of a:
- A) Transverse wave
- B) Longitudinal wave
- C) Surface wave
- D) Electromagnetic wave
16. The amplitude of a wave is defined as:
- A) The maximum height of the wave
- B) The distance from one crest to the next
- C) The speed of the wave
- D) The time period of the wave
17. The unit of frequency is:
- A) Meters
- B) Seconds
- C) Hertz
- D) Amperes
18. Which of the following best describes SHM?
- A) Motion that is always accelerating
- B) Motion where the restoring force is proportional to displacement
- C) Motion that has a constant speed
- D) Motion with no forces acting on it
Moderate Questions (24)
19. What effect does damping have on a pendulum’s oscillation?
- A) Increases its amplitude
- B) Decreases its amplitude over time
- C) Changes its frequency
- D) Stops the oscillation immediately
20. The period of a simple pendulum depends on:
- A) Its mass
- B) The angle of release
- C) The length of the pendulum
- D) The temperature of the environment
21. What type of wave is produced when a tuning fork is struck?
- A) Longitudinal
- B) Transverse
- C) Surface
- D) Electromagnetic
22. The principle of superposition states that:
- A) Waves cannot interfere with each other
- B) The resulting displacement is the sum of individual displacements
- C) Waves can only travel in one medium
- D) Waves will always maintain their shape
23. In the context of wave motion, constructive interference occurs when:
- A) Two waves are out of phase
- B) Two waves combine to form a smaller wave
- C) Two waves combine to form a larger wave
- D) Two waves cancel each other out
24. Which of the following correctly describes longitudinal waves?
- A) The oscillation is perpendicular to the direction of wave travel
- B) The oscillation is parallel to the direction of wave travel
- C) They require a medium to travel through
- D) Both B and C
25. The Doppler effect is observed when:
- A) The source of a wave moves relative to an observer
- B) The medium changes
- C) The wave frequency decreases
- D) The wave travels in a vacuum
26. If the frequency of a wave doubles, what happens to its wavelength?
- A) It doubles
- B) It halves
- C) It remains the same
- D) It quadruples
27. The speed of sound in air is affected by:
- A) The frequency of the sound wave
- B) The medium's temperature
- C) The amplitude of the wave
- D) None of the above
28. A wave travels at 340 m/s and has a frequency of 170 Hz. What is its wavelength?
- A) 0.5 m
- B) 1.0 m
- C) 2.0 m
- D) 4.0 m
29. What happens to the frequency of a wave when it travels from a less dense medium to a denser medium?
- A) It increases
- B) It decreases
- C) It remains the same
- D) It doubles
30. The natural frequency of a system is:
- A) The frequency at which the system does not oscillate
- B) The frequency at which the system oscillates when not subjected to external forces
- C) The frequency of the driving force
- D) Always equal to the amplitude
31. A wave in a string is an example of a:
- A) Longitudinal wave
- B) Transverse wave
- C) Surface wave
- D) None of the above
32. In a wave equation, the symbol λ represents:
- A) Frequency
- B) Wavelength
- C) Amplitude
- D) Wave speed
33. The ability of waves to spread out after passing through a narrow opening is known as:
- A) Reflection
- B) Refraction
- C) Diffraction
- D) Interference
34. An example of a mechanical wave is:
- A) Light wave
- B) Sound wave
- C) Radio wave
- D) X-ray
35. The phase of a wave refers to:
- A) The maximum displacement of the wave
- B) The position of a point in time on a wave cycle
- C) The frequency of the wave
- D) The speed of the wave
36. Which of the following factors does NOT affect the speed of sound in a medium?
- A) The medium’s density
- B) The temperature of the medium
- C) The frequency of the sound wave
- D) The elasticity of the medium
37. When light waves pass from air into glass, they:
- A) Speed up
- B) Slow down
- C) Change frequency
- D) Reflect back into the air
38. In a vibrating string fixed at both ends, the fundamental frequency corresponds to:
- A) The longest wavelength
- B) The shortest wavelength
- C) The highest pitch
- D) None of the above
Tough Questions (18)
39. What is the equation of motion for a simple harmonic oscillator?
- A) x = A cos(ωt)
- B) x = A sin(ωt)
- C) Both A and B
- D) None of the above
40. A damped harmonic oscillator will eventually:
- A) Continue oscillating indefinitely
- B) Stop oscillating completely
- C) Gain energy over time
- D) Change its amplitude only
41. If a pendulum is displaced to a large angle, which type of motion does it exhibit?
- A) Simple harmonic motion
- B) Non-simple harmonic motion
- C) Damped oscillation
- D) Free oscillation
42. The mathematical representation of wave motion can be described as:
- A) y(x,t) = A sin(kx - ωt)
- B) y(x,t) = A cos(kx + ωt)
- C) y(x,t) = A sin(kx + ωt)
- D) All of the above
43. Which of the following describes the energy carried by a wave?
- A) It is only carried by the amplitude
- B) It is proportional to the square of the amplitude
- C) It does not depend on frequency
- D) Both A and C
44. In a forced oscillation, the frequency of the external force is:
- A) Always equal to the natural frequency
- B) Can be greater than or less than the natural frequency
- C) Always less than the natural frequency
- D) None of the above
45. The phenomenon where waves from different sources combine to form a new wave is known as:
- A) Interference
- B) Refraction
- C) Diffraction
- D) Reflection
46. In a longitudinal wave, the areas where particles are close together are called:
- A) Crests
- B) Troughs
- C) Compressions
- D) Rarefactions
47. The velocity of a wave can be affected by:
- A) The temperature of the medium
- B) The density of the medium
- C) The medium's elasticity
- D) All of the above
48. When two waves meet, the principle of superposition applies to their:
- A) Amplitudes only
- B) Velocities only
- C) Displacements
- D) Frequencies only
49. Which of the following phenomena demonstrates the particle nature of electromagnetic waves?
- A) Reflection
- B) Diffraction
- C) Photoelectric effect
- D) Refraction
50. The energy density of a wave is directly related to:
- A) The square of the wave's amplitude
- B) The wave's frequency
- C) The wavelength
- D) The speed of the wave
51. The critical angle in refraction is:
- A) The angle at which total internal reflection occurs
- B) The angle at which light is completely absorbed
- C) The angle where the speed of light changes
- D) The angle at which refraction does not occur
52. In a ripple tank experiment, the speed of waves can be measured by:
- A) The amplitude of the waves
- B) The frequency of the waves
- C) The distance traveled and time taken
- D) The wavelength only
53. The phenomenon of beats occurs due to the interference of:
- A) Light waves
- B) Sound waves of slightly different frequencies
- C) Two waves of the same frequency
- D) All of the above
54. Which of the following conditions must be true for a wave to experience total internal reflection?
- A) The wave must be a sound wave
- B) The wave must pass from a denser to a rarer medium
- C) The angle of incidence must be less than the critical angle
- D) The frequency of the wave must increase
55. The speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum is approximately:
- A) 3 x 10^6 m/s
- B) 3 x 10^8 m/s
- C) 3 x 10^10 m/s
- D) 3 x 10^12 m/s
56. In a standing wave pattern on a string, the points of no displacement are called:
- A) Antinodes
- B) Nodes
- C) Crests
- D) Troughs
57. The term "wave front" refers to:
- A) The crest of the wave
- B) The area where the wave is reflected
- C) A surface over which the wave has a constant phase
- D) The distance between two crests
58. The relationship between frequency and energy of a photon is given by:
- A) E = hf
- B) E = mc^2
- C) E = pV
- D) E = λ/h
59. The Doppler effect is responsible for:
- A) The change in wavelength of light from a moving source
- B) The increase in amplitude of a wave
- C) The change in frequency of sound as the source moves
- D) Both A and C
60. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of electromagnetic waves?
- A) They can travel through a vacuum
- B) They require a medium for propagation
- C) They travel at the speed of light in a vacuum
- D) They exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties
Answers
1. B
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. C
10. C
11. A
12. B
13. B
14. A
15. B
16. A
17. C
18. B
19. B
20. C
21. B
22. B
23. C
24. D
25. A
26. B
27. B
28. B
29. B
30. B
31. B
32. B
33. C
34. B
35. B
36. C
37. B
38. A
39. C
40. B
41. B
42. D
43. B
44. B
45. A
46. C
47. D
48. C
49. C
50. A
51. A
52. C
53. B
54. B
55. B
56. B
57. C
58. A
59. B
60. B