Directions: Read the passage about waves of different wavelengths, frequencies, and amplitudes.

Question

A student wonders why some sounds are louder than others and some music notes are softer and at a lower pitch than others. He decides to do some research to find out what properties of waves cause these changes.

First, he learns that a wave is a repeating pattern with a specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude. The amplitude of a wave is the maximum distance above or below the equilibrium. The energy of one wave is found by calculating the square of the wave's amplitude. Frequency is the number of times the wave pattern repeats. The amount of energy transferred by the wave is proportional to its frequency. For example, in sound waves the amplitude of the wave is related to its loudness and the frequency is related to its pitch.

In his research, the student discovers some graphs that help him to understand how the properties of waves affect their energy.

Graph 1 shows the amplitudes (in meters) of three waves (labeled wave 1, 2, and 3) traveling through a medium over time (in seconds).

Graph 2 shows a different set of three waves (labeled wave X, Y, and Z) traveling in a medium.

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Multiple Choice Question
Which answer choice arranges the waves shown in Graph 1 by increasing order of energy?

A.
wave 1, wave 2, wave 3

B.
wave 2, wave 3, wave 1

C.
wave 1, wave 3, wave 2

D.
wave 3, wave 2, wave 1

Answer 1

To determine the correct answer for the increasing order of energy based on the waves shown in Graph 1, we need to focus on the amplitudes of the waves, as the energy of a wave is proportional to the square of its amplitude.

1. Evaluate the amplitudes of each wave:

   • Wave 1: Amplitude (let's say it's A1)
   • Wave 2: Amplitude (say it's A2)
   • Wave 3: Amplitude (say it's A3)

2. Compare amplitudes:

   • If A1 < A2 < A3, then the order of the energies (which are proportional to the square of these amplitudes) would also follow this sequence.

3. Select the choice:

   • Identify which of the given answer choices reflects this order.

Since the specific values of amplitudes for waves 1, 2, and 3 are not provided in your question, I'm unable to analyze the graphs directly. Generally, if higher amplitude results in increased energy, you will need to compare the amplitudes and arrange them accordingly.

However, based on typical expectations from such questions, if we assume:

• Wave 1 has the lowest amplitude,
• Wave 2 has a moderate amplitude,
• Wave 3 has the highest amplitude,

Then the increasing order of energy would be: Wave 1 < Wave 2 < Wave 3, which correlates to option A: wave 1, wave 2, wave 3.

If you have the specific values or can describe the graph divisions, you can apply the same logic to identify the correct answer choice accordingly.