Final answer:
Increasing the force that produces a transverse wave in a copper wire increases the amplitude of the wave while keeping the frequency and wave speed constant if the tension and linear mass density of the wire remain unchanged.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a student increases the force that produces a transverse wave in a copper wire, the amplitude of the wave will increase. The amplitude is the maximum displacement of the wave from its rest position, and an increased force results in greater energy being transferred to the wave, therefore increasing its amplitude.
If the tension of the wire remains constant, the increase in force (energy put into the system) primarily affects the vibrational motion perpendicular to the direction of wave travel, which means that the quantity we see increase is the amplitude. However, the wave speed and frequency are determined by the mass per unit length of the wire (linear mass density) and the tension applied to it. These would remain unchanged as long as the tension and the mass per unit length of the wire do not change.