PrepGo

AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based Practice Quiz: Boundary Behavior of Waves and Polarization

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 11 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 11

When a wave encounters a boundary between two different media, which of the following describes the possible behaviors of the wave?

All Questions (11)

When a wave encounters a boundary between two different media, which of the following describes the possible behaviors of the wave?

A) It is always completely reflected.

B) It is always completely transmitted.

C) It can be either transmitted or reflected.

D) It stops and dissipates its energy at the boundary.

Correct Answer: C

The provided content states that a wave traveling from one medium to another can be transmitted or reflected, depending on the boundary's properties.

A light wave travels from air into a block of glass. Which property of the wave remains constant?

A) Speed

B) Wavelength

C) Amplitude

D) Frequency

Correct Answer: D

According to the provided principles, the frequency of a wave is determined by its source and does not change when it passes from one medium to another.

The process of polarizing a transverse wave involves which of the following?

A) Increasing its frequency.

B) Changing its direction of travel.

C) Confining its oscillations to a single plane.

D) Separating it into longitudinal components.

Correct Answer: C

The content defines polarization for transverse waves as the process that makes them oscillate in a single plane.

An experimenter observes that a particular mechanical wave cannot be polarized. What can be concluded about this wave?

A) It must be a transverse wave.

B) It must be a longitudinal wave.

C) It must have a very high frequency.

D) It is traveling through a vacuum.

Correct Answer: B

The provided text explicitly states that longitudinal waves cannot be polarized, while transverse waves can be. Therefore, if a wave cannot be polarized, it must be longitudinal.

The extent to which a wave is transmitted or reflected at the interface between two media is primarily determined by the...

A) frequency of the wave.

B) amplitude of the wave.

C) properties of the boundary.

D) polarization of the wave.

Correct Answer: C

The content states that the outcome of a wave's interaction with a boundary (transmission or reflection) depends on the properties of the boundary separating the two media.

A sound wave with a frequency of 440 Hz travels from the air into water. An observer measures the frequency of the wave in the water. What frequency will they measure?

A) A frequency lower than 440 Hz.

B) A frequency higher than 440 Hz.

C) A frequency of exactly 440 Hz.

D) The frequency cannot be determined without knowing the wave's speed in water.

Correct Answer: C

A fundamental principle of wave behavior is that the frequency remains constant when a wave passes from one medium to another. The frequency is determined by the source of the wave.

Which of the following phenomena is a characteristic of transverse waves but not of longitudinal waves?

A) Reflection

B) Transmission

C) Polarization

D) Constant frequency across media

Correct Answer: C

The provided text specifies that transverse waves can be polarized, but longitudinal waves cannot. Reflection, transmission, and maintaining a constant frequency across media are properties of both wave types.

Which statement best describes the general interaction between a wave and a boundary?

A) The wave's energy is always completely absorbed by the boundary.

B) The wave's frequency changes to match the properties of the new medium.

C) The wave can be transmitted or reflected.

D) The wave transforms from transverse to longitudinal upon interaction.

Correct Answer: C

The content describes the interaction at a boundary as the wave being either transmitted (passing through) or reflected (bouncing off).

A beam of unpolarized waves is directed at a special filter. After passing through the filter, the waves are observed to be oscillating only in the vertical plane. This observation provides evidence that the original waves were...

A) longitudinal.

B) transverse.

C) of a constant frequency.

D) reflected by the filter.

Correct Answer: B

The act of confining wave oscillations to a single plane is known as polarization. Since the content states that only transverse waves can be polarized, the observation confirms that the waves must be transverse.

A scientist observes a wave propagating from Medium X into Medium Y. A key observation is that the number of wave crests passing a point per second is the same in both media. This observation directly supports which principle?

A) All waves can be polarized.

B) The frequency of a wave is constant when it changes media.

C) Waves are always reflected at a boundary.

D) The properties of the boundary determine the wave's speed.

Correct Answer: B

The number of wave crests passing a point per second is the definition of frequency. The observation that this value is the same in both Medium X and Medium Y directly confirms the principle that frequency does not change when a wave travels from one medium to another.

A student claims that polarizing a light wave will change its fundamental frequency. Why is this claim incorrect?

A) Polarization only affects longitudinal waves, not light waves.

B) Polarization changes the speed of the wave, not its frequency.

C) Polarization only affects the orientation of a wave's oscillation, not its frequency.

D) Polarization is a type of reflection, which does not alter frequency.

Correct Answer: C

The content defines polarization as the confinement of a transverse wave's oscillation to a single plane. This process affects the orientation of the oscillation, not intrinsic properties like frequency, which is determined by the wave's source and remains constant when passing through a filter or new medium.