Mechanical Waves — JEE Main PYQs & Practice Questions

Mechanical Waves is a Physics chapter in the JEE Main syllabus. This page brings together 67 previous-year and practice questions on Mechanical Waves, organised into 4 topics: Wave Equation and Speed, Superposition and Interference, Standing Waves in Strings and Standing Waves in Organ Pipes. Most questions come with a step-by-step solution you can work through free in PrepWiser.

Download Mechanical Waves JEE Main PYQs as a free PDF (with answer key)

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Wave Equation and Speed

• Two strings (A,B) having linear densities μ_A=2× 10⁻⁴ kg/m and, μ_B=4× 10⁻⁴ kg/m and…
• Displacement of a wave is expressed as x(t)=5 cos (628 t+π/2) m. The wavelength of the…
• A wave has frequency 500 Hz and wavelength 0.66 m. Its speed is approximately:
• A sound wave of frequency 245 Hz travels with the speed of 300 ms⁻¹ along the positive…
• For a transverse wave travelling along a straight line, the distance between two peaks…
• A transverse wave on a string is described by y=3 sin (36t+0.018x+π/4). where x,y are in…
• Two identical strings X and Z made of same material have tension T X and T Z in them. If…
• A plane progressive wave is given by y=2 cos 2 π(330 t-x) m. The frequency of the wave…
• A transverse wave travels on a taut steel wire with a velocity of v when tension in it…
• A sinusoidal wave of wavelength 7.5 cm travels a distance of 1.2 cm along the…
• In the wave equation y=0.5 sin (2 π)/λ(400 t-x) m the velocity of the wave will be:
• The amplitude of wave disturbance propagating in the positive x-direction is given by y…
• Which of the following equations correctly represents a travelling wave having…
• Two strings with circular cross section and made of same material, are stretched to have…
• For a solid rod, the Young's modulus of elasticity is 3.2 × 10¹¹ Nm⁻² and density is 8 ×…
• A longitudinal wave is represented by x = 10 sin 2π ( nt - x/λ ) cm. The maximum…
• The equation of wave is given by Y=10⁻² sin 2 π(160 t-0.5 x+π / 4) where x and Y are in…
• A point source is kept at the center of a spherically enclosed detector. If the volume…
• The equation of a plane progressive wave is given by y=5 cos π(200t-x/150) where x and y…
• A steel wire with mass per unit length 7.0 × 10⁻³ kg m⁻¹ is under tension of 70 N. The…

Superposition and Interference

• Two coherent sources of sound, S₁ and S₂, produce sound waves of the same wavelength, λ…
• Two waves are simultaneously passing through a string and their equations are : y₁ = A₁…
• The amplitude and phase of a wave that is formed by the superposition of two harmonic…
• The displacement equations of two interfering waves are given by y₁=10 sin (ω t+π/3) cm…
• Two loudspeakers (L₁ and L₂) are placed with a separation of 10 m , as shown in figure…
• Three harmonic waves having equal frequency ν and same intensity I₀, have phase angles…
• The equations of two waves are given by : y₁ = 5 sin 2π(x - vt) cm y₂ = 3 sin 2π(x - vt…
• The principle of superposition for waves states that the resultant displacement at a…

Standing Waves in Strings

• A wire of length L and mass per unit length 6.0 × 10 –3 kgm –1 is put under tension of…
• A wire having a linear mass density 9.0 × 10⁻⁴ kg/m is stretched between two rigid…
• A sonometer wire of resonating length 90 cm has a fundamental frequency of 400 Hz when…
• A guitar string of length 90 cm vibrates with a fundamental frequency of 120 Hz. The…
• A wire of density 8 × 10³ kg / m³ is stretched between two clamps 0.5 m apart. The…
• Two travelling waves of equal amplitudes and equal frequencies move in opposite…
• A wire of length 30 cm, stretched between rigid supports, has it's nᵗʰ and (n + 1)ᵗʰ…
• The fundamental frequency of vibration of a string stretched between two rigid support…
• In an experiment with sonometer when a mass of 180 g is attached to the string, it…
• Two travelling waves produces a standing wave represented by equation, y = 1.0 mm…
• In a stationary (standing) wave, the distance between two consecutive nodes is:
• A wire of density 9 × 10 –3 kg cm –3 is stretched between two clamps 1 m apart. The…

Standing Waves in Organ Pipes

• The fundamental frequency of a closed organ pipe is equal to the first overtone…
• A one metre long (both ends open) organ pipe is kept in a gas that has double the…
• The first overtone frequency of an open organ pipe is equal to the fundamental frequency…
• In an experiment with a closed organ pipe, it is filled with water by (1/5) th of its…
• An organ pipe 40 cm long is open at both ends. The speed of sound in air is 360 ms⁻¹…
• For a certain organ pipe, the first three resonance frequencies are in the ratio of…
• The fifth harmonic of a closed organ pipe is found to be in unison with the first…
• A closed organ and an open organ tube are filled by two different gases having same bulk…
• A closed and an open organ pipe have same lengths. If the ratio of frequencies of their…
• A closed organ pipe of length L and an open organ pipe contain gases of densities ρ₁ and…
• In a closed organ pipe, the frequency of fundamental note is 30 Hz. A certain amount of…
• The fundamental frequency of a pipe closed at one end, of length L, is:
• In an open organ pipe ν₃ and ν₆ are 3ʳᵈ and 6ᵗʰ harmonic frequencies, respectively. If…
• Two open organ pipes of lengths 60 cm and 90 cm resonate at 6ᵗʰ and 5ᵗʰ harmonics…
• The fundamental frequency of an open organ pipe of length L (sound speed v) is:
• A tuning fork is vibrating at 250 Hz. The length of the shortest closed organ pipe that…

More Physics chapters

• Basic Mathematics for Physics
• Units, Dimensions & Errors
• Rectilinear Motion
• Vectors
• Projectile Motion & Relative Motion
• Newton's Laws of Motion
• Friction
• Circular Motion
• Work, Energy & Power
• Centre of Mass & Linear Momentum
• Collision
• Rotational Motion
• Gravitation
• Simple Harmonic Motion
• Elasticity
• Fluid Mechanics
• Surface Tension
• Thermometry & Calorimetry
• Kinetic Theory of Gases
• Thermodynamics
• Heat Transfer
• Sound Waves
• Experimental Skills
• Electrostatics I — Charges, Field & Gauss's Law
• Electrostatics II — Potential & Capacitance
• Current Electricity
• Moving Charges & Magnetism
• Magnetism & Matter
• Electromagnetic Induction
• Alternating Current
• Electromagnetic Waves
• Ray Optics
• Wave Optics
• Dual Nature of Radiation & Matter
• Atomic Physics
• Nuclear Physics
• Semiconductors & Electronic Devices
• Communication Systems

Frequently asked questions

How many Mechanical Waves questions are there for JEE Main?

PrepWiser has 67 Mechanical Waves questions for JEE Main, grouped into 4 topics such as Wave Equation and Speed, Superposition and Interference and Standing Waves in Strings.

Are these Mechanical Waves questions from previous-year JEE Main papers?

Yes — most are genuine previous-year questions from past JEE Main papers, and the rest are practice questions written to match the JEE Main pattern and difficulty.

Where can I see the answers and solutions to these Mechanical Waves questions?

Open any Mechanical Waves question in PrepWiser (it is free) to attempt it; most come with a step-by-step solution.