AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

1. (a) Wave pulse: short or single disturbance

Continuous wave: repeated disturbances
[2]
(b) (i) Amplitude: maximum displacement from equilibrium position
[1]
(ii) Wavelength: distance from point to corresponding point on adjacent wave
[1]
(iii) Frequency: number of waves per second
[1]
(iv) Period: time for one complete wave
[1]
(c) (i) Wave pulse: disturbs water surface once with dipper
Continuous wave: repeatedly disturb water surface, e.g. dipper connected to
off centre motor
[2]
(ii) Frequency: measure with stroboscopic light or stroboscopic disc
Vary stroboscope frequency to the lowest frequency at which water waves appear
stationary
Frequency of strobe = frequency of wave
Wavelength: place metre rule alongside apparently stationary wave pattern, frozen
by the strobe, and measure distance between n crests (n as large as possible)
Divide distance by (n-1)
Speed: calculate using c = f or
Plot f against 1/
Gives straight line of gradient c
[6]
Total 14 marks

Page 1

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

Wave direction

2. (a)

Displacement
from equilibrium

Amplitude
Wavelength
Direction

yo

Distance from
source, x

yo

Displacement
from equilibrium

Time, t

Amplitude
Periodic Time
1/frequency

[6]
(b) Graph against distance: take snapshot of string at one moment in time and
measure y0 and x
Graph against time: observe one point along string and measure y0 & t

(c) Show at least one complete wave of same amplitude advanced by /4

[4]

displacement from
equilibrium
distance from source
/cm
[2]
Total 12 marks

Page 2

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

3. (a) Sound waves seismic P waves

[2]
(b)
Time (s)
0

13

14

51

12

13

14

15

13

14

15

14

155

66

15 5

66

12

12

11

122

13

12

133

14

13

144

12 2

Compression

15

Rarefaction

(i) 12 positions marked as shown

(ii) Compression and rarefaction labelled

[3]
[2]

(c)

[1]
Total 8 marks

Page 3

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

4. (a) (i) The pause is due to the time taken for radio waves to travel to and back from the satellite
[1]
(ii) Distance travelled = 2 4107 = 8107 m
Time = distance / velocity =(8107) / (3108)= 0.26 s
Or: 0.52 s for double journey.
[2]
(b) (i) Sound travels much more slowly than light
Sound will therefore reach the spectator some time after the light
[1]
(ii) Over a short distance the time taken by the light can be ignored, so:
distance = time delayspeed of sound
= 0.3330 = 99 m
[2]
Total 6 marks
5. (a) E.g., Clapperboard sounded regularly (or other method of producing repetitive sound
pulses), some distance from large wall
Make claps and echoes coincide
Measure time for 20 claps with stopwatch and find time between claps t
Measure distance d between experimenter and wall with tape measure and repeat for
varying d
Plot 2d versus t
Gradient = speed of sound
[6]
(b) No wind increasing or decreasing the speed of sound
No change in speed due to change in direction when reflected from wall
[2]
(c) (i) 2d = ct = 15000.15 = 225 m
d = 112.5 m
[2]
(ii) Fish within shoal not all at same depth
Reflections of pulse return at different times
[2]
(d) Velocity of light very large
Time taken to travel everyday distances is too short to measure with simple timing apparatus
[2]
Total 14 marks

Page 4

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

6. (a) Wave front is a constructed line joining points in phase

[2]
(b) Wave direction is perpendicular to the wave front
[1]
(c) (i) Straight-edged dipper striking water surface repeatedly
[1]
(ii) Point or ball dipper striking water surface repeatedly
[1]
(d) (i) Wave frequency (or integer multiple of) = stroboscope frequency
Between each strobe flash a wave front moves forward by one wavelength to
occupy the previous position of the wave front ahead of it
[2]
(ii) Strobe frequency is greater than wave frequency
Between each strobe flash a wave front moves forward by less than one wavelength
Comparison with the previous position of the one ahead of it gives the impression that
it is moving backwards

Strobe flash 1
The wave fronts shown
grey appear to be
moving backwards but
are actually different
wave fronts.

Strobe flash 2

Strobe flash 3
[3]
Total 10 marks

Page 5

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

7. (a) Frequency, f = number of complete oscillations per second

Wavelength, = distance travelled during each oscillation
f = distance travelled in each second = wave speed, c
(b) (i) = c / f = (3108) / (95.6106)
= 3.14 m

[3]

[2]
(ii) Phase difference = (0.78 / 3.14)2
= 1.56 radians / 2 radians
[2]
(c) f = c / = 0.7 0.5 = 1.4 Hz
= 2f = 8.8 radian s-1
Max velocity v = amplitude y0 =2 1.40.1
= 0.88 ms-1
[4]
Total 11 marks
8. (a) Change of wave direction or spreading of wave motion
as wave passes through gap or passes edge of object
[2]

(b)

Diagrams

Gap width
Wave spreads out

Gap width >>

Little spreading out

[4]
(c) Blue light has a shorter wavelength than red
Blue light diffracted less then red for a given width of gap
Blue image will be sharper than red
[3]
Total 9 marks

Page 6

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

9. (a) Change in wave direction

that occurs at a boundary at which the wave speed changes
[2]
(b) Construct shallower region in water using rectangular glass plate
Plane waves propagated towards boundary between deep and shallow
Measure frequency of wave source and in both shallow and deeper water
Determine wave speed in both shallow and deep
Turn glass plate so waves approach at an angle
Measure angle of incidence and angle of refraction
Calculate sin i / sin r and compare with ratio of speeds
[7]
Total 9 marks

10.(a) Diagram showing that as waves cross from deep to shallow:

Wave direction becomes closer to normal
Wavelength becomes shorter
[2]

(b) (i) DEEP / SHALLOW = sin 400 / sin 300 = 1.29

DEEP = 1.01.29 = 1.29 m
[2]
(ii) c DEEP = 5 DEEP = 6.43 m s-1
c SHALLOW = 5 SHALLOW = 5.0 m s-1
[2]
0

(iii) n / 1.0 = sin 40 / sin 30

n = 1.29
[2]
Total 8 marks

Page 7

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

11.(a) Waves coinciding at a point in space

Disturbances add together, i.e. superpose (or diagram)
[2]
(b) Constructive: waves in phase as they superpose
Disturbances add to give a larger amplitude
Destructive: waves 180o out of phase
Disturbances cancel to give zero amplitude (or diagram)
[4]
(c) Coherent sources have:
Same frequency
Constant phase relationship
[2]
(d) Without coherent sources the phase relationship between the waves would be continuously
changing
No steady interference pattern.
[2]
Total 10 marks

Page 8

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

12.(a) (i) Electric field

Magnetic field strength
[2]
(ii) The fields are perpendicular to each other
[1]
(iii) Electromagnetic waves do not require a material medium, they can travel through
a vacuum
[1]
(b) Radio Micro Infra-red Visible light Ultra-violet X-ray Gamma ray
Deduct 1 mark for each omission or type out of order
[4]
(c) (i) (ii) Any two lines from the following:
Wave Type
Radio

Wavelengths
10 1 m

Micro

1 10-3 m

Infra-red

10-3 10-6 m

Visible light

810-7 310-7 m
800 300 nm

Ultra-violet

10-7 10-9 m

X-ray

10 9 -

Gamma ray

- 10-15 m

Source
Oscillating current
in aerial
Magnetron or
klystron valve
Heater

Detector
Aerial and suitable
circuit
Horn receiver

Mercury vapour
lamp, stars
X-ray tube
deceleration of
electrons hitting
tungsten target
Radioactive nuclei

Photographic film,
photoelectric detector
Photographic film

Blackened
thermometer bulb
Very hot objects,
Eye, photographic
electron transitions film, phototransistor,
in atoms
CCD

Scintillation detector

[6]
Total 14 marks

Page 9

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

13.(a) Node: point of no vibration i.e. zero displacement from equilibrium

Antinode: point of maximum vibration i.e. maximum displacement from equilibrium
[2]
(b) (i) Fundamental, diagram
A

[2]
(ii) First overtone, diagram
A

[2]
(c) (i) Stationary wave is formed by the superposition
of the two waves
Nodes are created by destructive interference and antinodes are created by
constructive interference.
[3]
(ii) All points on a stationary wave are in phase,
Points on a progressive wave are out of phase with each other
All points on a progressive wave have the same amplitude,
Different points on a stationary wave have different amplitudes
[2]
Total 11 marks

Page 10

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

14.(a) 1000000
Speed of sound = 300 ms-1, Speed of light = 3108ms-1
[1]
(b) 20 Hz: = v/f= 340 / 20 =17m

20kHz: = v/f = 340 / 20000 = 1.7cm

[2]
(c) The size of everyday objects is similar to the wavelength of sound.
Sound waves are easily diffracted around such objects
The waves reach those regions, which would have been obscured if the sound could only
travel in straight lines
[2]
(d) Polarisation
Polarisation can only occur in transverse waves, such as light
Sound waves are longitudinal
[3]

(e) L = 4 = (c/f)/4
= 340 / (1504)
= 0.57m

[3]
Total 11 marks

15.(a) Intensity 1/ (distance between Sun and Mars)2

max noon intensity / min noon intensity = (max distance)2 / (min distance)2
=(2.4781011m)2 / (2.0841011m)2
Ratio is 1.189 : 1
[4]
15

17

(b) Distance = 509.4610 = 4.7310 m

= luminosity of star / 4x (Distance)2
= 4.01026 / (4x(4.731017)2)
=1.42310-10Wm-2
Rate of energy flow into telescope =Intensityarea of objective lens
=1.42310-10(5.010-2)2
=1.11810-12J/s (W)
Energy collected = Rate of energy flowtime
= 1.11810-121060
= 6.71 10-10J
Intensity

[7]
Total 11 marks

Page 11

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

16.(a) Resonance is the process in which a system is made to oscillate at its natural frequency
by the application of a periodic force at or near, that frequency
[2]
(b) (i)
A

[1]

(ii)
A

[1]
(iii) Nodes (N) and antinodes (A) marked on diagrams
[2]
(c) For first harmonic:
/2 = L
= 2L = 20.5 = 1m
f = v/340 / 1 = 340Hz
For third harmonic:
3/2 = L
= 2L/3 = 20.5 / 3 = 0.33m
f = v/340 / 0.33 = 1020Hz

Total 10 marks

Page 12

AS level Physics
17.(a)

Waves

Answers

Electric field

Direction of
travel
Magnetic field
Diagram Labels
[2]
(b) Any three of: transverse, can be polarised, can travel through a vacuum, have the same
speed in a vacuum
[3]
(c) (i) X- ray
[1]
(ii) Microwave
[1]
(iii) Radio
[1]
(iv) Visible light
[1]
(d) X-rays by deceleration of charged particles e.g. electrons hitting tungsten target
rays by decay of radioactive nuclei.
[2]
Total 11 marks

Page 13

AS level Physics

Waves

Answers

18.(a) (i) A wave front is a continuous surface associated with a wave

in which all oscillations are in phase
[2]
(ii) They are perpendicular
Wave fronts

Direction of
travel
[2]

(b) (i) = v/f

= 340 / 30000
= 0.0113m or 1.13cm
Phase difference of /3 radians corresponds to a minimum distance along the wave of /6
= 1.89mm
[2]
(ii) speed in water = speed in airwavelength in water / wavelength in air
= 3400.05 / 0.0113
= 1500 ms-1
[3]
(iii) Number of waves = time of pulsefrequency
= 0.0130000 =300
[2]
(iv) Ultrasound
[1]
Total 12 marks

Page 14