🌊 Chapter 12: Waves – Exercise Short Questions
Prepared by Muhammad Tayyab, Subject Specialist Physics, Govt Christian High School Daska. Based on PECTAA 2026 syllabus (National Curriculum 2023).
📖 What's Inside: This section covers exercise short questions from the official PECTAA 2026 curriculum: energy transfer by waves, mechanical waves examples, electromagnetic waves in vacuum, difference between transverse and longitudinal waves, wavelength, frequency, and causes of tsunamis. Each answer is presented in the exact exam-ready format.
📚 Related Resources – Chapter 12: Waves
Exercise short questions help reinforce key waves concepts for board exams.
📖 Exercise Short Questions & Answers (PECTAA 2026)
Waves can transfer energy from one place to another without transferring matter.
Examples of mechanical waves include sound waves, water waves, vibrations on a rope or spring, and seismic waves produced by earthquakes.
Electromagnetic waves can travel through vacuum.
| Transverse Waves | Longitudinal Waves |
|---|---|
| In transverse waves, the particles of the medium vibrate at right angles to the direction in which the wave is travelling. | In longitudinal waves, the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation. |
| Example: water waves, electromagnetic radiation (such as light, radiowaves, and X-rays). | Example: sound waves. |
| Consists of crests and troughs. | Consists of compressions and rarefactions. |
The wavelength is the distance between two corresponding points on adjacent waves (e.g., crest to crest or trough to trough in transverse waves, or compression to compression in longitudinal waves).
SI unit of wavelength is metre \((m)\).
The frequency of a wave is the number of complete wave cycles that pass a fixed point in one second.
It is measured in hertz \((Hz)\), where \(1\ Hz = 1\ \text{wave per second}\).
Tsunamis are extremely large and powerful ocean waves caused by sudden disturbances under the sea. These disturbances may include underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides.
📐 Key Wave Concepts Summary
💡 Exam Tip:
For board exams, clearly distinguish between transverse and longitudinal waves with proper examples. Define wavelength and frequency with units. Explain tsunami causes precisely. These exercise short questions follow the official PECTAA 2026 pattern and are prepared by Subject Specialist Muhammad Tayyab.