10.15: Quiz Questions - Chapter 10 - Waves

1. The time it takes for one full wave to pass a fixed position, such as a pole on a pier, is called:
a. wave period.
b. wave height.
c. wave fetch.
d. wavelength.

2. The vertical distance between the trough of a wave and the crest of a wave is called:
a. wave height.
b. wave period.
c. wave velocity.
d. wavelength.

3. As waves move along the surface of the water, what do water particles do?
a. They move back and forth in a direction parallel to wave motion.
b. They move back and forth in a direction perpendicular to wave motion.
c. They move along the crests of waves and can travel thousands of miles.
d. They oscillate in circles parallel to wave motion and the circle diameters decrease with depth.

4. In deep water in the open ocean, how deep in water can surface waves cause particle motion?
a. Half the wave height
b. Exactly twice the wave height
c. Twice the wavelength
d. About half the wavelength

5. What determines wave speed in the open oceans?
a. Wave period
b. Wavelength
c. Wind velocity
d. All of the above.

6. What is surf?
a. Surf is fully-developed waves generated by strong winds.
b. Surf is waves moving out of the generating sea area.
c. Surf is where waves steepen and build up near shore.
d. Surf is the waves moving into shallow water as turbulent front that moves onto the beach.

7. What happens to ocean waves when they reach shallow water?
a. They become waves of oscillation.
b. They slow down and become waves of transition and waves of translation.
c. They speed up.
d. They veer to the right.

8. Wave base is:
a. the depth of influence of a passing water wave.
b. about 1/2 of the wavelength of passing water waves.
c. the depth at which the wave motion dies out.
d. all of the above.

9. Where do waves of transition generally start to form?
a. In conditions where the fetch is 50% of the wind speed.
b. In conditions where there is a decrease in water depth to about 1/2 of wavelength between passing wave crests.
c. In deep bays.
d. In the deep water of the open ocean.

10. Waves typically break when:
a. the base of the wave starts to impact the sea floor.
b. when a wave reflected from the beach passes through incoming waves.
c. the slope of the wave reaches a ratio of about 7:1 (7 long to 1 high).
d. all of the above.

11. The region where storm winds blowing over the ocean surface generating waves is called a:
a. swell.
b. sea.
c. cyclone.
d. tsunami.

12. Groups of waves that move out of area where waves are generated by strong storm winds and travel long distances across ocean basins are called:
a. seas.
b. cyclones.
c. swells.
d. tsunamis.

13. Waves that have the longest wavelengths and most wave energy form from situations where there is:
a. long fetch exposure to the wind.
b. long duration of exposure to the wind.
c. exposure to strong winds (high wind speed).
d. all of the above.

14. The bending of waves so that they are more parallel to the shore is called:
a. diffraction.
b. reflection.
c. refraction.
d. translation.

15. Which of the following waves generally have the longest wavelength?
a. capillary wave
b. swell
c. chop
d. tsunamis