Question

Elaborate on the difference between the energy of the two waves seen here: Wave A has shorter waves and Wave B has taller waves.
A. Wave energy is directly proportional to frequency and wavelength, therefore Wave A has more energy.
B. Wave B has more energy: the amplitude of Wave B is double that of Wave A.
C. Wave A has more energy than Wave B because the wavelength of Wave A is greater.
D. Wave B has more energy than Wave A because the frequency of Wave B is greater.

Answer 1

Correct answer: B.

Explanation in brief:
- For ordinary (classical/mechanical) waves the energy carried is largely set by the amplitude; the energy (or intensity) of a sinusoidal wave is proportional to the square of the amplitude. So if Wave B’s amplitude is twice Wave A’s, Wave B carries 2^2 = 4 times the energy.
- Option A is wrong: energy is not simply directly proportional to both frequency and wavelength (for EM quanta energy ∝ frequency but not wavelength in that simple way).
- Option C is wrong: a greater wavelength does not increase wave energy.
- Option D is wrong here because the statement says Wave A has the shorter waves (shorter wavelength → higher frequency), so Wave B does not have the greater frequency.

(If you were comparing photons/EM waves, individual-photon energy depends on frequency E = hf, but amplitude changes intensity by changing the number of photons, not the energy per photon.)