Two points on a progressive wave are one-eighth of a wavelength apart.

The distance between

1 them is 0.5 m, and the frequency of the oscillation is 10 Hz. What is the minimum speed of the
wave?

A 0.2 m s–1

B 10 m s–1

C 20 m s–1

D 40 m s–1
(Total 1 mark)

Sound waves cross a boundary between two media X and Y. The frequency of the waves in X is
2
400 Hz. The speed of the waves in X is 330 m s–1 and the speed of the waves in Y is 1320 m s–1.
What are the correct frequency and wavelength in Y?

Frequency / Hz Wavelength / m

A 100 0.82

B 400 0.82

C 400 3.3

D 1600 3.3

(Total 1 mark)

Page 2 of 30
 The diagram shows a snapshot of a wave on a rope travelling from left to right.
3

At the instant shown, point P is at maximum displacement and point Q is at zero displacement.
Which one of the following lines, A to D, in the table correctly describes the motion of P and Q in
the next half-cycle?

P Q

A falls then rises rises

B falls then rises rises then falls

C falls falls

D falls rises then falls

(Total 1 mark)

A source emits light of wavelength 600 nm as a train of waves lasting 0.01 µs. How many
4 complete waves are sent out?
speed of light = 3 × 108 m s−1

A 5 × 106

B 18 × 107

C 5 × 109

D 5 × 1022
(Total 1 mark)

A wave motion has period T, frequency f, wavelength λ and speed ʋ. Which one of the following
5
equations is incorrect?

A 1 = Tf

B T=

C λ=

D Tʋ = λ
(Total 1 mark)

Page 3 of 30
6
displacement

The graph shows, at a particular instant, the variation of the displacement of the particles in a
transverse progressive water wave, of wavelength 4 cm, travelling from left to right. Which one of
the following statements is not true?

A The distance PS = 3 cm.

B The particle velocity at Q is a maximum.

C The particle at S is moving downwards

D Particles at P and R are in phase.

(Total 1 mark)

The audible range of a girl's hearing is 30 Hz to 16 500 Hz. If the speed of sound in air is 330 m
7
s−1, what is the shortest wavelength of sound in air which the girl can hear?

A m

B m

C m

D m
(Total 1 mark)

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 The figure below shows a continuous progressive wave on a rope. There is a knot in the rope.
8

(a) Define the amplitude of a wave.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) The wave travels to the right.

Describe how the vertical displacement of the knot varies over the next complete cycle.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) A continuous wave of the same amplitude and frequency moves along the rope from the
right and passes through the first wave. The knot becomes motionless.
Explain how this could happen.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 8 marks)

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 (a) For a sound wave travelling through air, explain what is meant by particle displacement,
9 amplitude and wavelength.

Particle displacement ....................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

amplitude .......................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................

wavelength .....................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(4)

(b)

Graph A shows the variation of particle displacement with time at a point on the path of a
progressive wave of constant amplitude.

Graph B shows the variation of particle displacement with distance along the same wave
at a particular instant.

(i) Show on graph A

(1) the wave amplitude, a,

(2) the period, T, of the vibrations providing the wave.

Page 6 of 30
 (ii) Show on graph B

(1) the wavelength of the wave, λ,

(2) two points, P and Q, which are always π/2 out of phase.
(4)
(Total 8 marks)

The figure below shows two ways in which a wave can travel along a slinky spring.
10

(a) State and explain which wave is longitudinal.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) On the figure above,

(i) clearly indicate and label the wavelength of wave B

(1)

(ii) use arrows to show the direction in which the points P and Q are about to move as
each wave moves to the right.
(2)

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 (c) Electromagnetic waves are similar in nature to wave A.

Explain why it is important to correctly align the aerial of a TV in order to receive the
strongest signal.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

(a) The diagram below represents a progressive wave travelling from left to right on a
11 stretched string.

(i) Calculate the wavelength of the wave.

answer ................................... m
(1)

(ii) The frequency of the wave is 22 Hz. Calculate the speed of the wave.

answer............................m s–1
(2)

(iii) State the phase difference between points X and Y on the string, giving an
appropriate unit.

answer ..............................
(2)

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(b) Describe how the displacement of point Y on the string varies in the next half-period.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

Page 9 of 30
 Earthquakes produce transverse and longitudinal seismic waves that travel through rock. The
12 diagram below shows the displacement of the particles of rock at a given instant, for different
positions along a transverse wave.

(a) State the phase difference between

(i) points A and B on the wave ...................................................................

(ii) points A and C on the wave ...................................................................

(2)

(b) Describe the motion of the rock particle at point B during the passage of the next complete
cycle.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) A scientist detects a seismic wave that is polarised. State and explain what the scientist
can deduce from this information.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

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 (d) The frequency of the seismic wave is measured to be 6.0 Hz.

(i) Define the frequency of a progressive wave.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) Calculate the wavelength of the wave if its speed is 4.5 × 103 m s–1.

wavelength .......................................... m
(2)
(Total 9 marks)

Figure 1 shows three particles in a medium that is transmitting a sound wave. Particles A and C
13 are separated by one wavelength and particle B is half way between them when no sound is
being transmitted.

Figure 1

(a) Name the type of wave that is involved in the transmission of this sound.

........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) At one instant particle A is displaced to the point A' indicated by the tip of the arrow in
Figure 1. Show on Figure 1 the displacements of particles B and C at the same instant.
Label the position B' and C' respectively.
(1)

Page 11 of 30
 (c) Explain briefly how energy is transmitted in this sound wave.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

(a) With the aid of a clearly labelled diagram explain how a sound wave in air transmits energy
14 away from its source.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(3)

Page 12 of 30
(b) Unlike sound waves, transverse waves can be polarised. Give one example of a
transverse wave and draw a diagram to show how it can be plane polarised. State a
method of polarising a wave of the type you have chosen.

Example transverse wave ........................................

Method of polarisation .......................................................

(3)
(Total 6 marks)

Page 13 of 30
 The graph in Figure 1 shows the results of an investigation of how the visible light intensity
15 I varies with distance d from a filament lamp. The lamp can be assumed to behave as a point
source of light.

Figure 1

(a) Use data from the graph to show that the visible light intensity varies with distance
according to an inverse square law.

(3)

(b) Find the power of the visible light emitted by the filament lamp.

power ..........................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

Page 14 of 30
 The intensity of a sound is 1.9 × 10–8 W m–2 at a distance of 0.25 km from the source. Calculate
16
the intensity of the sound at a distance of 0.75 km from the source.

Intensity of sound ....................................

(Total 3 marks)

Read through the following passage and answer the questions that follow it.
17
Measuring the speed of sound in air
After the wave nature of sound had been identified, many attempts were made to
measure its speed in air. The earliest known attempt was made by the French
scientist Gassendi in the 17th century. The procedure involved timing the interval
between seeing the flash of a gun and hearing the bang from some distance away.
5 Gassendi assumed that, compared with the speed of sound, the speed of light is
infinite. The value he obtained for the speed of sound was 480 m s–1. He also
realised that the speed of sound does not depend on frequency.
A much better value of 350 m s–1 was obtained by the Italian physicists Borelli and
Viviani using the same procedure. In 1740 another Italian, Bianconi, showed that
10 sound travels faster when the temperature of the air is greater.
In 1738 a value of 332 m s–1 was obtained by scientists in Paris. This is remarkably
close to the currently accepted value considering the measuring equipment
available to the scientists at that time. Since 1986 the accepted value has been
331.29 m s–1 at 0 °C.

(a) Suggest an experiment that will demonstrate the wave nature of sound (line 1).

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) Using Gassendi’s value for the speed of sound (line 6), calculate the time between seeing
the flash of a gun and hearing its bang over a distance of 2.5 km.

time = ........................ s
(1)

Page 15 of 30
(c) Explain why it was necessary to assume that ‘compared with the speed of sound, the
speed of light is infinite’ (line 5).

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(1)

(d) Explain one observation that could have led Gassendi to conclude that ‘the speed of sound
does not depend on frequency’ (line 7).

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(e) Explain how the value obtained by Borelli and Viviani was ‘much better’ than that obtained
by Gassendi (line 8).

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(1)

(f) The speed of sound c in dry air is given by

where θ is the temperature in °C, and k is a constant.

Calculate a value for k using data from the passage.

k = ........................ m s–1 K–½

(2)

Page 16 of 30
(g) State the steps taken by the scientific community for the value of a quantity to be ‘accepted’
(line 13).

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

Page 17 of 30