Light: past paper questions

Where the questions come from

• Question 20May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a beam of light leaving a LASER. Direction RS is parallel to the beam. Directions WX and YZ are perpendicular to the beam.

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• Question 19Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The ray diagram shows the formation of an image when light is reflected by a plane mirror. Which lines represent light rays?

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• Question 19Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which diagram correctly shows the dispersion of white light through a glass prism?

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• Question 21May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  The diagram shows a ray of light incident on a plane mirror. What is the angle of reflection of the ray?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which diagram shows how an image of an object is formed on a screen by a converging lens?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A ray of light is reflected by a plane mirror. Which row shows the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection?

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• Question 22May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Light from the Sun passes through a converging lens and forms an image. What is the description of the image formed?

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows the formation of an image by a thin converging lens. Which terms describe the image?

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which diagram shows the dispersion of white light by a glass prism?

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• Question 20May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a ray of light striking a plane mirror. Through which point does the reflected ray pass?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Light reflects from a plane mirror. The angle between the incident ray and the reflected ray is ${68}^{\circ }$. What is the angle of incidence?

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• Question 19Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a ray of light as it passes from air into glass. Which row shows the angle of refraction and the normal?

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• Question 19Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Red, green and violet lights are part of the visible spectrum of light. What is the order of colours from shortest to longest wavelength?

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a ray of red light travelling through a transparent prism. Normals to the prism surfaces are marked at the points where the ray meets the prism surfaces.

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows rays of light passing through a converging lens. Which labelled arrow represents the focal length of the lens?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which diagram shows the image correctly formed by reflection?

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• Question 22May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which list states three colours of the visible spectrum in order of decreasing frequency?

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• Question 22Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows an image being formed by a converging lens. Which description of the image formed is correct?

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a narrow beam of white light being dispersed by a glass prism to produce a visible spectrum. Which statement describes what happens to the frequency and wavelength of the light in observing from P to Q across the spectrum?

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• Question 23Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which list shows the colours present in the visible spectrum in order of increasing wavelength?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A ray of light is incident on a plane mirror. A student measures the angle of incidence $i$ and the angle of reflection $r$. The student varies the angle of incidence and then plots a graph of $r$ against $i$.

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A thin converging lens forms an image. What is the nature of this image and can it be formed on a screen?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  The diagram shows a ray of light incident on a plane mirror. The angle between the ray and the mirror is ${35}^{\circ }$. The ray is reflected by the mirror.

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which diagram shows the dispersion of white light by a prism?

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A thin converging lens in a camera produces a real image on a photo-sensitive surface, as shown. At which position is the image of the top of the object formed?

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• Question 22Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A converging lens is used to produce a real image of a $2\text{ cm}$ high object. The image is $4\text{ cm}$ high. Which ray diagram shows how the lens forms the image?

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• Question 19Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows part of a ray diagram that demonstrates the formation of a virtual image Y of object X by a converging lens. One ray of light from X is shown approaching the lens. Which arrow shows the direction of this ray as it leaves the lens?

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• Question 20May/June 2026, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows two rays of light from the same point on an object passing through a thin converging lens. Which statement describes the image of the object?

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• Question 23Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  White light can be split into different colours by passing it through a prism. What is the name of this process?

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• Question 21May/June 2026, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  Three statements about red light are listed. 1 Red light is one of the traditional seven colours that make up the visible spectrum. 2 Red light has the highest frequency in the visible spectrum.

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