Stage 1 PHYSICS

Light and Introduction to Waves SAT /51

Answer all questions. An approved Calculator may be used. Show all working, marks will not be awareded
without working. Physics formulae sheets may be used.

1. A sound wave is moving at 340m/s through air and vibrating a microphone

at 100Hz. The resultant voltage in the microphone is +/- 20mV
a. calculate the wavelength of the sound wave (1)

b. What is the period of the sound wave ? (1)

c. Draw a graph of the voltage in the microphone over a time interval of

0.02s (5)

d. Indicate on your graph the period and amplitude of the wave (2)
2. A surfer is waiting beyond the break for a gnarly right hander. She counts
the waves passing underneath and finds that 5 waves pass every 100
seconds. She estimates the height of the wave from trough to crest is 2m.
She also estimates that the distance between crests is 10m.
a. Calculate the frequency of the waves (1)

b. Calculate the velocity of the waves (1)

c. Draw a graph of the motion of the surfer over 40 seconds (4)

3. Light is bent when it passes into a glass prism from air. In an experiment,
the angle of incidence is measured as 45 degrees and the angle of
refraction as 40 degrees.
a. Draw the experimental set up indicating the angles of incidence and
refraction (5)

b. calculate the refractive index of the glass (2)

4. The refraction of light supports the idea that light travels slower in glass
than in air. Explain how the refractive index of a material is a measure of
the ratio of the velocity of light in air to its velocity in the glass. Use a
diagram to support your answer . (5)

5. The diagram below shows water waves moving into and through a narrow
gap. This is called wave diffraction.

Explain how this occurs (Huygen’s Principle) (3)

6. Waves are produced in a ripple tank and interfere with each other as
shown in the image.

a. On a diagram clearly show where waves are:

i. adding constructively

ii. adding destructively (cancelling out)

iii. A line where the waves are adding constructively (3)

b. The waves have the same wavelength (0.040m) and amplitude (0.010m).
Explain (using graphs or diagrams if needed) how the waves from two
sources can interfere destructively and why this occurs at the position you
indicated above (5)

(you may use the last page if you need space)

 EXPERIMENTAL QUESTION

7.
Light from a laser, which is coherent and monochromatic, falls upon a
diffraction grating and produces a series of bright spots due to the
interference pattern. The experimental set up is shown below, similar to
the demonstration you saw in class.

 The distance from

the grating to the
screen (D) is
500mm.
 The distance of the
bright spots from
the central bright
spots is S (mm).
 The order of the
bright spots (m)
are shown, 1, 2, 3
etc

An image showing the bright spots

(m=1) either side of the central
maximum for a green laser being
shone through a diffraction grating.

The following data were obtained for a

violet coloured laser.

m S tan θ Θ Sin θ
-1
(Distance from centre (=S/500) =tan (tan θ)
in mm)
1 146
2 342
3 782
a. Complete the table above to the correct number of significant figures (2)
b. Draw a graph of sin θ against M (M on the x-axis) (5)
c. Draw a line of best fit for the data (1)
d. Determine the gradient of the line of best fit (2)

The equation relating the order of the maxima (M), the wavelength of the
laser (λ) and the distance between the slits in the grating (d) is given by:

d sin θ = m λ

e. If the distance between the slits on the diffraction grating is known to be

1.6 x 10-6 m, from your answer to part (d) above, determine the
wavelength of the laser (λ ) (3)