Questions

Q1.

Four students and their teacher do an experiment to measure the speed of sound in air.
The teacher stands at a distance and fires a starting pistol into the air.
The students see the flash when the pistol is fired.
They measure the time from when they see the flash to when they hear the bang.
A student drew a diagram of the arrangement as shown in Figure 5.

The students obtained a value of 240 m/s for the speed of sound.
The accepted value, in a science data book, is 343 m/s.
(i) Calculate the difference between the students' value and the accepted value
as a percentage of the accepted value.
(2)

percentage difference = ........................................................... %

(ii) When the distance was 100 m, the students measured the following times:
0.43 s 0.35 s 0.50 s 0.38 s
Explain why their times vary so much.
(2)
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(iii) Explain one way the students might improve this experiment.
(2)
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Q2.

There is a piece of music called "The Flight of the Bumble Bee."

This takes 4 minutes to play.
During this time, a bee flies 1608 m.
Calculate the average speed of the bee.
(3)

speed ........................................................... m/s

Q3.

The distance between the Earth and the Sun is 1.50 × 10 11 m.

Light takes 500 s to travel from the Sun to the Earth.
The wavelength of red light is 670 nm.
Calculate the frequency of red light, using only the data provided.
(4)

frequency = ........................................................... Hz

(Total for question = 4 marks)

Q4.

An earthquake causes a sea wave.

This sea wave travels 26 400 m in two minutes.
Calculate the speed of the wave.
Use the equation

(3)

speed = ........................................................... m/s

(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q5.

A radio station transmits on 97.4 MHz.

To receive the waves an aerial needs a length equal to half the wavelength of the
radio waves being transmitted.
Calculate the length of the aerial needed.
The speed of the radio waves is 3.00 × 108 m / s.
(3)

length of aerial = ........................................................... m

(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q6.

A different water wave has a wavelength of 0.25 m and a frequency of 1.5 Hz.
Calculate the wave speed.
(2)

wave speed = ........................................................... m/s

(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q7.

Figure 1 shows a ripple tank.

This is used to study the behaviour of water waves.

Figure 1
Water waves are produced in the tank.
The shadow of the waves is projected onto the screen below the tank.
The waves appear to move in the direction of the arrow.
(i) Describe how to determine the frequency of the waves.
(2)
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(ii) The screen is 80 cm long.
What is the approximate wavelength of the waves as seen on the screen?
(1)
A 4 cm
B 8 cm
C 40 cm
D 80 cm

(iii) A student uses the image to estimate the speed of the water wave as 75 cm/s.
Which of these is a reason why the estimate is not correct?
(1)
A the student used a ruler without mm markings
B the light was not bright enough
C the student's measurement was inaccurate
D the wave seen on the screen is magnified

(Total for question = 4 marks)

Q8.

A class is learning about refraction of waves.

The teacher shows them a demonstration using a battery-powered toy car
travelling across a smooth road and onto some sand.
The car slows down as it enters the sand.
Figure 4 shows the car just before it meets the sand.

Figure 4
(i) Draw an arrow on the diagram to show the direction of the car as it travels across the sand.
(1)
(ii) Explain why this is a useful model for refraction of light.
(2)
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(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q9.

Sound travels slower in air than it does in water.

Figure 6 shows the direction of travel of a sound wave approaching a boundary
between air and water.
The sound wave refracts at the boundary between air and water.

Complete the diagram in Figure 6 to show the direction the sound wave travels in the air.

(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q10.

A student is standing 600 m from a firework display.

A firework explodes with a loud bang, and a flash of light is seen.
Describe how a student can measure the time it takes for the sound wave from the loud bang to travel
600 m.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q11.

There are many different types of waves.

Waves on the surface of water are transverse waves.
Sound waves are longitudinal waves.
Describe the difference between transverse waves and longitudinal waves.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q12.

Figure 5 shows a long metal rod and a hammer.

The rod is hit at one end by the hammer.
This causes a sound wave to travel along the inside of the metal rod.

Describe how hitting the rod causes a sound wave to travel along the inside of the rod.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q13.

A man throws a stone into a pond.

Devise a method of measuring the frequency of the waves.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q14.

Sound waves are longitudinal waves.

Water waves are transverse waves.
Describe the difference between longitudinal waves and transverse waves.
(3)
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(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q15.

* Figure 13 shows a beam of red light approaching one side of a rectangular glass block.
The beam of light will pass through the block and leave through the opposite side.
AB is a wavefront.

Figure 13

Discuss the path of the wavefront AB as it enters and leaves the glass block.
(6)

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(Total for question = 6 marks)

Q16.

Figure 6 represents a sound wave coming from a loudspeaker and shows the
effects on particles of the air at one instant in time.

(i) Draw and label a distance of one wavelength in Figure 6.

(1)
(ii) Describe the motion of the particles as the wave travels through the air.
(2)
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(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q17.

(a) Seismic (earthquake) waves can be either P-waves or S-waves.

Which row of the table is correct for P-waves?
Put a cross ( ) in the box next to your answer.
(1)

(b) Explain why it is difficult to predict when an earthquake will happen.

(2)
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Q18.

The diagram in Figure 4 shows two students, P and Q, trying to measure the
speed of sound in air.

P will clap his hands together.

When Q sees P clap his hands, she will start a timer.
When Q hears the clap, she will stop the timer.
Explain one way the students could improve their method.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q19.

Figure 4 is a simplified diagram to show radio waves from a transmitter

moving upwards, then meeting a boundary between lower and upper layers of
the atmosphere.

Explain what happens to the radio waves after they meet the boundary between
the lower and upper layers as shown in Figure 4.
Your explanation should refer to changes in direction and speed of the waves.
(4)
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(Total for question = 4 marks)

Q20.

Figure 6 shows a large tank of water.

The tank of water is used to study water waves.

Figure 8 shows part of the inside of the Earth below the surface.

An earthquake starts at Q.
A seismic wave travels from Q to S.
A technician measured the frequency of the water wave in Figure 7 by counting
how many waves passed him in 15 s.
Explain why this would not be a suitable method for measuring the frequency of
the seismic wave in Figure 8.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q21.

The speed of light is 3.0 × 108 m/s.

The wavelength of yellow light is 5.8 × 10−7 m.
Calculate the frequency of yellow light.
State the unit.
Use the equation

(3)

frequency = ........................................ unit ..............................

(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q22.

Figure 6 shows a large tank of water.

The tank of water is used to study water waves.

(i) Water waves are transverse waves.
Give another example of a transverse wave.
(1)
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(ii) Figure 7 shows a side view of part of the tank.

A water wave is moving from L to M.

Calculate the wavelength of the wave.
(2)

wavelength = ........................................................... m
(iii) A technician stands at the side of the tank.
He counts the peaks of the waves as they pass him.
12 peaks pass the technician in a time of 15 s.
Calculate the frequency of the wave.
(2)

frequency = ........................................................... Hz

(Total for question = 5 marks)

Q23.

Water waves are transverse waves.

(i) Give one other example of a transverse wave.
(1)
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(ii) Give one example of a longitudinal wave.
(1)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q24.

Figure 2 shows a water wave.

Figure 2
(i) What is the amplitude of this wave?
(1)
A 2.8 cm
B 5.6 cm
C 7.5 cm
D 15 cm

(ii) What is the wavelength of this wave?

(1)
A 2.8 cm
B 7.5 cm
C 15 cm
D 30 cm
Q25.

A man throws a stone into a pond.

The stone makes waves that spread out in circles.
Figure 4 shows some of the waves.

Figure 4
(i) Which of the following changes is correct as the waves spread out?
(1)
A the amplitude is higher
B the frequency is higher
C the wavefront is longer
D the period is longer

(ii) The stone hits the water 4.0 m from the bank.
The wave speed is 0.70 m/s.
Calculate the time for the wave to reach the bank.
(2)

time = ........................................................... s
(iii) The wavelength of the waves is the distance between one wavefront and the next.
Use the diagram to find the wavelength of the waves.
(1)

wavelength = ........................................................... m
(iv) There is a cork which bobs up and down in the water as the wave goes past.
Explain how this shows that the wave is transverse.
(2)
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(Total for question = 6 marks)

Q26.

Figure 2 shows water waves spreading out from a source.

A student measures the wavelength of the waves.
He uses a ruler to measure the distance from one crest to the next crest.

Figure 2
Explain how to improve the student's method for measuring the wavelength.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q27.

Figure 8 shows part of the inside of the Earth below the surface.

An earthquake starts at Q.
A seismic wave travels from Q to S.
The seismic wave is a longitudinal wave.
(i) Draw arrows on Figure 8 to show how the rock at R moves when the seismic wave passes through R.
(2)
(ii) The frequency of the seismic wave is 12 Hz.
The wave speed of the seismic wave is 7 km / s.
Calculate the wavelength of the seismic wave, in metres.
Use the equation

(3)

wavelength = ........................................................... m

(Total for question = 5 marks)

Q28.

A sound wave in air travels a distance of 220 m in a time of 0.70 s.

(i) State the equation linking speed, distance and time.
(1)

(ii) Calculate the speed of the sound wave in air.

(2)

wave speed = ........................................................... m/s

(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q29.

When white light crosses the boundary between air and glass, it can split up into the colours of the
spectrum.
Explain, in terms of speed, why the light behaves like this.
(3)
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(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q30.

State three differences between radio waves and sound waves.

(3)
1 ..........................................................................................................................................
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2 ..........................................................................................................................................
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3 ..........................................................................................................................................
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(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q31.

A man throws a stone into a pond.

On the other side of the pond, the water becomes very shallow.
In the shallow water, the wave is slower but the frequency does not change.
State what happens to the wavelength when a wave reaches the shallow water.
(1)
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(Total for question = 1 mark)

Q32.

Figure 5 shows how a glass prism is used to produce a spectrum from a beam of sunlight.

Figure 5
(i) Explain, in terms of refraction and wavelength, the paths taken by the light through the prism.
(3)
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(ii) Describe how a student could develop the procedure shown in Figure 5 to search for evidence that
sunlight consists of additional electromagnetic waves with frequencies lower than visible light.
(2)
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(Total for question = 5 marks)

Q33.

Sound travels slower in cold air than it does in warm air.

The equation relating the speed of sound in air to the density of the air is

The table in Figure 7 gives some data about the speed of sound in air and the density of air.

Use the equation and the data in the table in Figure 7 to calculate the speed of sound in warm air.
Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.
(3)

speed of sound in warm air = ........................................................... m/s

(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q34.

Figure 1 is a diagram of a water wave.

A cork is floating on the water.

(i) Use the scale on the diagram to measure the wavelength of the wave.
(2)
wavelength = ........................................................... cm
(ii) Describe the motion of the cork.
You should include how the cork moves relative to the direction of travel of the wave.
(2)
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(Total for question = 4 marks)

Q35.

Figure 7 shows a tuning fork.

Figure 7
When the prongs of the tuning fork are struck, the prongs vibrate in the directions shown by the arrows on
Figure 7.
Describe how the vibrating tuning fork causes a sound wave to travel through the air.
You may add to the diagram if it helps your answer.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q36.

* Explain the differences between longitudinal and transverse waves.

Your explanation should refer to ultraviolet, ultrasound and seismic waves.
(6)
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Q37.

The diagram shows a transverse wave.

(i) Use words from the box to label the distances X and Y.

(2)
(ii) Q is a particle in the wave.
Which of these shows the way in which particle Q moves?
Put a cross ( ) in the box next to your answer.
(1)

Q38.

A light wave from a star has a frequency of 6.67 × 1014 Hz and a wavelength of 4.50 × 10−7 m.
The star is 4.00 × 1016 m away from Earth.
Calculate the time it takes light from the star to reach the Earth.
(3)

time to reach Earth = ........................................................... s

Mark Scheme
Q1.
Q2.

Q3.
Q4.

Q5.
Q6.
Q7.

Q8.
Q9.

Q10.
Q11.

Q12.

Q13.
Q14.

Q15.
Q16.
Q17.
Q18.

Q19.
Q20.

Q21.
Q22.
Q23.

Q24.
Q25.

Q26.
Q27.

Q28.
Q29.

Q30.

Q31.
Q32.

Q33.
Q34.
Q35.

Q36.
Q37.

Q38.