PHYSICS

CHAPTER 10: SIMPLE HARMONIC AND WAVES

Class 10 Physics Chapter 1 MCQs

1. A repetitive back-and-forth motion about an equilibrium position is called:
(a) Oscillation (b) Translation (c) Rotation (d) Acceleration
Show Answer: Oscillation
2. Oscillation is also known as:
(a) Linear motion (b) Rotational motion (c) Oscillatory motion (d) Angular motion
Show Answer: Oscillatory motion
3. One complete round trip of the vibrating body about the mean position is called:
(a) Vibration (b) Time period (c) Oscillation (d) Amplitude
Show Answer: Vibration
4. The other term used for vibration is:
(a) Cycle (b) Rotation (c) Acceleration (d) Linear motion
Show Answer: Cycle
5. In oscillation, what is the mean position?
(a) The highest point of the motion (b) The final destination of the object (c) The midpoint or
equilibrium position (d) The starting point of the motion
Show Answer: The midpoint or equilibrium position
6. In oscillation, what is the extreme position?
(a) The midpoint (b) The mean position (c) The equilibrium position (d) The farthest point from
the mean position
Show Answer: The farthest point from the mean position
7. The time required to complete one cycle is said to be:
(a) Frequency (b) Displacement (c) Time period (d) Amplitude
Show Answer: Time period
8. What is the SI unit of time (T) in oscillatory motion?
(a) Cycles per second (s⁻¹) (b) Hertz (Hz) (c) Meters (m) (d) Seconds (s)

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Show Answer: Seconds (s)
9. The number of cycles per unit time is:
(a) Frequency (b) Amplitude (c) Displacement (d) Time period
Show Answer: Frequency
10. What symbol is commonly used to represent frequency?
(a) T (b) F (c) V (d) f
Show Answer: f
11. What is the unit of frequency?
(a) Hertz (Hz) (b) Meters per second (m/s) (c) Newton (N) (d) Seconds (s)
Show Answer: Hertz (Hz)
12. What is the mathematical relationship between time period (T) and frequency (f) in
oscillatory motion?
(a) T = f (b) T = 1/f (c) T = f² (d) T = 2f
Show Answer: T = 1/f
13. If an object completes 20 cycles in 5 seconds, what is its frequency?
(a) 4 Hz (b) 20 Hz (c) 5 Hz (d) 25 Hz
Show Answer: 4 Hz
14. If an object completes 10 cycles in 10 seconds, what is its frequency?
(a) 1 Hz (b) 2 Hz (c) 3 Hz (d) 4 Hz
Show Answer: 1 Hz
15. If the frequency of an oscillation is 100 Hz, what is the time period of the motion?
(a) 10 seconds (b) 0.01 seconds (c) 100 seconds (d) 1000 seconds
Show Answer: 0.01 seconds
16. If the frequency of an oscillation is 50 Hz, what is the time period of the motion?
(a) 2 seconds (b) 0.02 seconds (c) 200 seconds (d) 2000 seconds
Show Answer: 0.02 seconds
17. The distance of the oscillating body from the mean position at any instant of time is
called:
(a) Frequency (b) Time period (c) Displacement (d) Amplitude

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Show Answer: Displacement
18. What is the SI unit of displacement (x) in oscillatory motion?
(a) Cycles per second (s⁻¹) (b) Meters (m) (c) Hertz (Hz) (d) Seconds (s)
Show Answer: Meters (m)
19. The maximum displacement of the body from its mean position in one cycle is called:
(a) Amplitude (b) Frequency (c) Time period (d) Wavelength
Show Answer: Amplitude
20. The larger the amplitude, the _____ the oscillation.
(a) Faster (b) Slower (c) Higher frequency (d) Lower frequency
Show Answer: Slower
21. The time taken by the body to move from one extreme position to the other extreme
position and back is called:
(a) Frequency (b) Time period (c) Wavelength (d) Half of the time period
Show Answer: Half of the time period
22. What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength in a wave?
(a) Inversely proportional (b) Directly proportional (c) No relationship (d) Quadratically
proportional
Show Answer: Inversely proportional
23. What is the speed of a wave?
(a) Frequency multiplied by wavelength (b) Frequency divided by wavelength (c) Wavelength
multiplied by amplitude (d) Amplitude divided by frequency
Show Answer: Frequency multiplied by wavelength
24. The distance between two successive points in the same phase of a wave is called:
(a) Amplitude (b) Frequency (c) Time period (d) Wavelength
Show Answer: Wavelength
25. What is the SI unit of wavelength (λ) in oscillatory motion?
(a) Cycles per second (s⁻¹) (b) Meters (m) (c) Hertz (Hz) (d) Seconds (s)
Show Answer: Meters (m)
26. The speed of a wave is given by the formula:

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(a) Speed = Frequency × Wavelength (b) Speed = Amplitude × Frequency (c) Speed = Time
period × Wavelength (d) Speed = Amplitude × Time period
Show Answer: Speed = Frequency × Wavelength
27. If the frequency of a wave is 20 Hz and the wavelength is 5 meters, what is the speed of
the wave? (a) 25 m/s (b) 100 m/s (c) 4 m/s (d) 0.25 m/s
Show Answer: 100 m/s
28. If the frequency of a wave is 10 Hz and the speed is 50 m/s, what is the wavelength of
the wave?
(a) 5 meters (b) 10 meters (c) 500 meters (d) 0.2 meters
Show Answer: 5 meters
29. The oscillation of a pendulum is an example of which type of motion?
(a) Linear motion (b) Circular motion (c) Rotational motion (d) Oscillatory motion
Show Answer: Oscillatory motion
30. The time period of a simple pendulum depends on:
(a) Mass of the bob (b) Length of the string (c) Both mass of the bob and length of the string (d)
Neither mass of the bob nor length of the string
Show Answer: Length of the string
51. A force that reduces the amplitude of vibrations is called:
(a) Restoring Force (b) Damping Force (c) Centripetal Force (d) Centrifugal Force
Answer: Damping Force
52. The motion of a pendulum eventually stops in real systems due to:
(a) Drag force (b) Energy loss (c) Air resistance (d) Damping
Answer: Air resistance
53. What effect does damping have on the amplitude of vibrations over time?
(a) It increases the amplitude (b) It keeps the amplitude constant (c) It reduces the amplitude (d)
It doesn’t affect the amplitude
Answer: It reduces the amplitude
54. What happens to the energy of a damped system as time progresses?
(a) It increases (b) It decreases (c) It remains constant (d) It fluctuates randomly
Answer: It decreases

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55. A disturbance that travels through space or a medium, transferring energy from one
place to another without a net movement of matter is called:
(a) Oscillation (b) Vibration (c) Wave (d) Particle motion
Answer: Wave
56. What type of motion do particles in a medium exhibit when a wave passes through
them?
(a) Linear motion (b) Simple harmonic motion (c) Circular motion (d) Rotational motion
Answer: Simple harmonic motion
57. The waves produced by the oscillation of material particles within a medium are called:
(a) Electromagnetic waves (b) Seismic waves (c) Mechanical waves (d) Gravitational waves
Answer: Mechanical waves
58. The waves that require a material medium for their propagation are known as:
(a) Electromagnetic waves (b) Mechanical waves (c) Transverse waves (d) All of these
Answer: Mechanical waves
59. Sound waves are:
(a) Electromagnetic waves (b) Transverse waves (c) Mechanical waves (d) All of these
Answer: Mechanical waves
60. The wave that propagates through the oscillation of electric and magnetic fields is
called:
(a) Mechanical wave (b) Electromagnetic wave (c) Transverse wave (d) Longitudinal wave
Answer: Electromagnetic wave
61. Which type of waves are electromagnetic waves?
(a) Mechanical waves (b) Longitudinal waves (c) Transverse waves (d) All of these
Answer: Transverse waves
62. The waves that do not require a material medium for their propagation are known as:
(a) Electromagnetic waves (b) Mechanical waves (c) Transverse waves (d) All of these
Answer: Electromagnetic waves
63. Which of the following is NOT an example of electromagnetic waves?
(a) Visible light (b) Radio waves (c) Sound waves (d) X-rays
Answer: Sound waves

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64. Which electromagnetic waves have shorter wavelengths, visible light or radio waves?
(a) Visible light (b) Radio waves (c) They have the same wavelength (d) It depends on the
frequency
Answer: Visible light
65. The disturbance occurs perpendicular to the direction of motion is called:
(a) Transverse wave (b) Longitudinal wave (c) Mechanical wave (d) Electromagnetic wave
Answer: Transverse wave
66. Which of the following is an example of a transverse wave?
(a) Sound wave (b) Mechanical wave (c) Longitudinal wave (d) Water wave
Answer: Water wave
67. What are AM and FM radio waves examples of?
(a) Longitudinal waves (b) Transverse waves (c) Mechanical waves (d) Sound waves
Answer: Transverse waves
68. What term is used to describe the part of a wave that is above the equilibrium position?
(a) Crest (b) Trough (c) Amplitude (d) Wavelength
Answer: Crest
69. What term is used to describe the part of a wave that is below the equilibrium position?
(a) Crest (b) Trough (c) Amplitude (d) Wavelength
Answer: Trough
70. The disturbance occurs parallel to the direction of motion is called:
(a) Transverse wave (b) Longitudinal wave (c) Mechanical wave (d) Electromagnetic wave
Answer: Longitudinal wave
71. What type of wave are sound waves primarily categorized as?
(a) Transverse waves (b) Electromagnetic waves (c) Longitudinal waves (d) None of these
Answer: Longitudinal waves
72. What type of motion is exhibited by particles in a medium when a longitudinal wave
passes through?
(a) Linear motion (b) Circular motion (c) Oscillatory motion (d) All of these
Answer: Linear motion
73. How a sound wave is typically generated in a longitudinal wave?

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(a) By shaking a rope (b) By vibrating electric fields (c) By creating magnetic disturbances (d)
By compressing and rarefying air molecules
Answer: By compressing and rarefying air molecules
74. What are regions of high density and pressure relative to the equilibrium in a wave
called?
(a) Troughs (b) Compressions (c) Crests (d) Rarefactions
Answer: Compressions
75. In a longitudinal wave, what are regions of low density and pressure relative to
equilibrium called?
(a) Compressions (b) Troughs (c) Rarefactions (d) Crests
Answer: Rarefactions
76. The distance between two successive points in a wave that are in phase is called:
(a) Amplitude (b) Wavelength (c) Frequency (d) Period
Answer: Wavelength
77. What is the SI unit of frequency?
(a) Hertz (Hz) (b) Newton (N) (c) Pascal (Pa) (d) Joule (J)
Answer: Hertz (Hz)
78. If the frequency of a wave increases, what happens to its wavelength?
(a) Increases (b) Decreases (c) Remains constant (d) Becomes zero
Answer: Decreases
79. The time taken for one complete oscillation of a wave is called:
(a) Wavelength (b) Frequency (c) Amplitude (d) Period
Answer: Period
80. What is the relationship between frequency and period of a wave?
(a) Inversely proportional (b) Directly proportional (c) No relationship (d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: Inversely proportional
81. The speed of a wave is determined by the:
(a) Wavelength (b) Frequency (c) Amplitude (d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: Both (a) and (b)

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82. The formula v = fλ represents the relationship between:
(a) Frequency and period (b) Wavelength and speed (c) Amplitude and frequency (d) Period and
amplitude
Answer: Wavelength and speed
83. What is the speed of a wave if its frequency is 20 Hz and the wavelength is 10 m?
(a) 200 m/s (b) 2 m/s (c) 10 m/s (d) 400 m/s
Answer: 200 m/s
84. Which type of waves can undergo interference?
(a) Longitudinal waves only (b) Transverse waves only (c) Both longitudinal and transverse
waves (d) Neither longitudinal nor transverse waves
Answer: Both longitudinal and transverse waves
85. The phenomenon where two or more waves meet and combine to form a new wave is
called:
(a) Reflection (b) Refraction (c) Interference (d) Diffraction
Answer: Interference
86. In constructive interference, what happens to the amplitude of the resulting wave?
(a) It decreases (b) It remains the same (c) It becomes zero (d) It increases
Answer: It increases
87. In destructive interference, what happens to the amplitude of the resulting wave?
(a) It decreases (b) It remains the same (c) It becomes zero (d) It increases
Answer: It decreases
88. The bending of waves around obstacles and spreading of waves through openings is
known as:
(a) Reflection (b) Refraction (c) Diffraction (d) Polarization
Answer: Diffraction
89. Which of the following waves can diffract easily?
(a) Long-wavelength waves (b) Short-wavelength waves (c) High-frequency waves (d) All
waves diffract equally
Answer: Long-wavelength waves

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90. What is the phenomenon of bending of light waves around obstacles and spreading into
the shadow region?
(a) Reflection (b) Refraction (c) Diffraction (d) Interference
Answer: Diffraction
91. Which color of light has the shortest wavelength?
(a) Red (b) Green (c) Blue (d) Yellow
Answer: Blue
92. The phenomenon of splitting of light into its constituent colors is known as:
(a) Reflection (b) Refraction (c) Dispersion (d) Diffraction
Answer: Dispersion
93. What is the primary cause of the sky appearing blue?
(a) Dispersion of light (b) Reflection of light (c) Refraction of light (d) Diffraction of light
Answer: Dispersion of light
94. What type of lens is used to correct hypermetropia?
(a) Convex lens (b) Concave lens (c) Cylindrical lens (d) Bifocal lens
Answer: Convex lens
95. The ability of an optical lens to converge or diverge light is measured by its:
(a) Aperture (b) Focal length (c) Magnification (d) Refractive index
Answer: Focal length
96. Which type of mirror always forms a virtual, upright, and diminished image?
(a) Concave mirror (b) Convex mirror (c) Plane mirror (d) Spherical mirror
Answer: Convex mirror
97. What is the phenomenon of change in speed and direction of light when it passes from
one medium to another?
(a) Reflection (b) Refraction (c) Dispersion (d) Diffraction
Answer: Refraction
98. The bending of light when it passes from air into water is an example of:
(a) Reflection (b) Refraction (c) Dispersion (d) Diffraction
Answer: Refraction

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99. What is the critical angle of incidence for a diamond-air interface if the refractive index
of diamond is 2.42?
(a) 24.2 degrees (b) 42.2 degrees (c) 14.2 degrees (d) 34.2 degrees
Answer: 24.2 degrees
100. Which of the following is NOT a method of reducing friction?
(a) Lubrication (b) Polishing (c) Ball bearings (d) Increasing contact area
Answer: Increasing contact area
101. In which year did Sir Isaac Newton publish his book "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia
Mathematica," which contains his laws of motion and universal gravitation?
(a) 1687 (b) 1705 (c) 1752 (d) 1623
Answer: 1687
102. The nucleus of an atom is composed of:
(a) Protons and electrons (b) Protons and neutrons (c) Electrons and neutrons (d) Positrons and
neutrinos
Answer: Protons and neutrons
103. Who developed the theory of relativity?
(a) Isaac Newton (b) Albert Einstein (c) Galileo Galilei (d) Stephen Hawking
Answer: Albert Einstein
104. What is the SI unit of electric current?
(a) Joule (b) Watt (c) Ampere (d) Volt
Answer: Ampere
105. The process of conversion of a substance from a gas to a liquid state is called:
(a) Vaporization (b) Condensation (c) Sublimation (d) Melting
Answer: Condensation
106. What is the chemical symbol for the element gold?
(a) Au (b) Ag (c) Fe (d) Cu
Answer: Au
107. Who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system, placing the Sun at the center
and the planets orbiting around it?
(a) Galileo Galilei (b) Nicolaus Copernicus (c) Johannes Kepler (d) Tycho Brahe

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Answer: Nicolaus Copernicus
108. Which gas is responsible for the greenhouse effect on Earth?
(a) Oxygen (b) Nitrogen (c) Carbon dioxide (d) Hydrogen
Answer: Carbon dioxide
109. The study of fossils is known as:
(a) Paleontology (b) Archaeology (c) Geology (d) Anthropology
Answer: Paleontology
110. Who is known as the "Father of Modern Physics" and formulated the laws of motion
and universal gravitation?
(a) Albert Einstein (b) Isaac Newton (c) Galileo Galilei (d) Stephen Hawking
Answer: Isaac Newton

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