1. Part 1
1. What is the top portion of a wave called?
a. Trough
b. Crest
c. Frequency
2. What is the bottom portion of a wave called?
a. The longitudinal section
b. Crest
c. Trough
3. The vertical distance from the crest to the trough is the _________ of a wave.
a. Height
b. Frequency
c. Speed
4. The amplitude or strength of a wave is equal to ______ the wave height.
a. One-fourth
b. One-half
c. One-third
5. If a wave is 10 feet tall, what is the strength?
a. 5
b. 3.3
c. 2.5
6. The horizontal distance from one crest to the next is called the ____________ of a
wave.
a. Frequency
b. Strength
c. Wavelength

2. 7. Water moves in what kind of pattern in a wave?
a. Horizontal
b. Circular
c. Vertical
8. The height of a wave can be supported only if the wavelength is __________ times
greater.
a. Five
b. Ten
c. Seven
9. A wave that is 3 feet high must have a wavelength of ______ feet.
a. 21
b. 15
c. 30
10. If a wave breaks with lots of foam, one can assume that the ocean bottom is
______________.
a. Flat
b. Steep
c. Rocky
11. Spilling breakers are caused by ______ ocean bottoms.
a. Flat
b. Steep
c. Soft
12. Surging and collapsing breakers occur when the ocean floor is
a. Flat at the shoreline
b. Flat at the shoreline and steep further away
c. Steep at the shoreline

3. Part 2
Surfing is a surface water sport in which a person rides a board on the crest of a wave as it carries the
surfer towards the shore. The excitement of flying down the face of a huge wave makes people want to
surf. The real aim of any surfer is to angle along on the open face of the wave parallel with the beach,
getting the longest possible ride with the greatest amount of speed. To do this the surfer has to
understand how waves work. Surfers go for tall waves which require stronger and bigger orbits, which
you really get pushed alternately toward shore and away from shore. As the waves come to the beach
they are slowing down and at some point, the orbit speed gets ahead of the wave speed and the wave
sort of runs over itself. You see this as the wave cresting, and since the water can’t support it, it breaks,
releasing all the energy, and propelling your surfboard forward.
Works Cited
27 October 2010 <http://kingfish.coastal.edu/biology/sgilman/770Oceansinmotion.htm>.
Extremehorizon. 2010. 27 October 2010 <http://www.extremehorizon.com/surf-
shop/learn_to_surf.html>.
Water Encyclopedia Science and Issues. 2010. 27 October 2010
<http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Tw-Z/Waves.html>.
Wikipedia. 26 October 2010. 27 October 2010 <2010>.