Superposition: past paper questions

Where the questions come from

• Question 28Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A student carries out a double-slit experiment using a laser emitting red light of wavelength of $680\text{ nm}$. The light is incident normally on a double slit.

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• Question 27Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Three statements about two progressive waves are listed. 1 The waves have the same frequency. 2 The waves have the same amplitude.

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  In an experiment, a stationary wave is formed on a string stretched horizontally between two fixed points. Which statement about the experiment is correct?

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• Question 28May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Water waves of wavelength $\lambda$ are incident normally on an obstacle with a narrow gap. The width of the gap is equal to $\lambda$. The waves from the gap emerge over an angle $\theta$ as shown.

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• Question 29Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  The diagram shows a stationary wave on a stretched spring at an instant in time. Two particles on the spring, P and Q, are shown. Which statement about the vibrations of P and Q is correct?

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Waves P and Q have the same amplitude. The waves meet in phase at point X and interfere to give a resultant wave with intensity $I$.

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• Question 29May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  What is a condition for two sources of waves to produce an interference pattern?

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• Question 30Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Green laser light passes through a diffraction grating and forms an interference pattern. The diffraction grating contains $400\text{ lines per mm}$. The wavelength of the laser light is $550\text{ nm}$.

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• Question 30Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Light of wavelength $\lambda$ is incident normally on a diffraction grating with a total number of $N$ lines in width $w$.

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• Question 27Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  In an experiment, water waves in a ripple tank are incident on a gap, as shown. Some diffraction of the water waves is observed. Which change to the experiment would provide a better demonstration of diffraction?

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• Question 30May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Green light of wavelength $550\text{ nm}$ passes through a double slit. This produces an interference pattern with a fringe spacing of $5.0\text{ cm}$ on a screen. Which changes to the experimental arrangement result in a fringe spacing of $2.5\text{ cm}$?

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  What happens when two waves superpose at a point?

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Light of wavelength $\lambda$ is emitted from two point sources R and S and falls onto a distant screen. At point P on the screen, the light intensity is zero. What could explain the zero intensity at P?

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• Question 26May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Water waves diffract as they pass through a gap. Which combination produces the greatest amount of diffraction?

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• Question 29Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The equation $n\lambda =d\sin \theta$ can be used with a diffraction grating to find the wavelength of visible light.

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• Question 29Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  An electromagnetic wave is diffracted as it passes through a single slit. The width of the slit is larger than the wavelength of the wave. Which change will decrease the amount of diffraction of the wave?

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• Question 30Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Two progressive sound waves move in opposite directions and superpose to form a stationary wave. Which statement describes an antinode of this stationary wave?

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• Question 30Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows visible light incident normally on a diffraction grating.

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  What can explain how stationary waves are formed from progressive waves?

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• Question 29May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Waves are emitted by two coherent sources. The two waves meet at point X where they have a constant phase difference of 180°. At point X, the amplitude of one of the waves is $0.50\text{ m}$ and the amplitude of the other wave is $0.30\text{ m}$.

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• Question 24Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which row is correct for sound waves?

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• Question 27May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Light from a laser is incident normally on a double slit.

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A student carries out a double-slit experiment using a laser emitting red light of wavelength of $680\text{ nm}$. The light is incident normally on a double slit.

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Coherent light of constant wavelength is incident normally on a double slit. Interference fringes are formed on a screen that is a fixed distance from the double slit. The screen is parallel to the double slit.

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• Question 28May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A beam of white light is incident normally on a diffraction grating. Three bands of bright fringes are formed on a screen, labelled 1, 2 and 3 as shown. What are the colours of the fringes seen on the screen?

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• Question 29Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Light of wavelength $690\text{ nm}$ passes through a diffraction grating with $300\text{ lines per mm}$, producing a series of bright spots (maxima) on a screen. What is the total number of bright spots that are produced?

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• Question 29May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Light of wavelength $400\text{ nm}$ passes normally through a diffraction grating with a line spacing of $2.0\times {10}^{-6}\text{ m}$ and forms a diffraction pattern on a screen. What is the angle $\alpha$ between the second-order and the fourth-order diffracted rays?

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2025, paper 22Structured8 marksHas a diagram

  A laser emits visible light of a single frequency in a vacuum. The light is incident normally on a double slit and then forms a pattern of bright and dark fringes on a screen, as shown in Fig. 4.1. The separation of the slits is $1.0\times {10}^{-3}\text{ m}$.

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Structured9 marksHas a diagram

  Two coherent sources X and Y of microwaves of frequency $2.5\times {10}^{10}\text{ Hz}$ are a distance of $0.18\text{ m}$ apart in a vacuum, as shown in Fig. 6.1. There is a phase difference of ${90}^{\circ }$ between the waves emitted at the two sources.

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement concerning a stationary wave is correct?

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