Waves: past paper questions

Where the questions come from

• Question 18May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a wave. Two distances, P and Q, are labelled.

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• Question 17Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Waves travel across the surface of water. What is meant by the amplitude of the wave?

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• Question 17Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statements about waves are correct?

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• Question 19May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Sound travels through air at a speed of $340\text{ m/s}$.

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• Question 18Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A seismic wave consists of vibrations that are parallel to the direction of propagation. What is the type of wave and what is the name of the seismic wave?

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• Question 18Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Water waves change direction when they move from shallow water to deep water. What is the name of this effect?

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• Question 18Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which quantities relating to a wave on the surface of water can both be measured in metres?

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• 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 23May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  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 22Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Valuable objects are often marked with a special ink. In visible light, the ink cannot be seen. The ink can be seen when exposed to the right type of electromagnetic waves.

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• Question 22Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which regions of the electromagnetic spectrum are used for satellite television and for security marking?

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• Question 22Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Where do all types of electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed?

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• Question 24May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  As the Universe expands, the wavelength of electromagnetic waves reaching the Earth from distant galaxies increases. This can cause waves that are emitted in one part of the electromagnetic spectrum to be detected in another part of that spectrum.

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• Question 23Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A siren is emitting a sound. As time passes, the sound becomes louder and higher pitched. What is happening to the amplitude and to the frequency of the emitted sound wave?

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• Question 23Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  The horn on a ship makes a sound. The captain on the ship hears an echo from a cliff 4.0 s later. The speed of sound is 340 m / s. How far away is the cliff from the ship?

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• Question 23Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Dogs can hear sounds in the range from $100\text{ Hz}$ to $45\text{ kHz}$. Which statement is correct?

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• Question 25May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  The diagram represents a sound wave. Which changes are occurring to this sound wave?

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• Question 18Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Waves travel more quickly on the surface of water when the water is deep.

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• Question 17Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a transverse wave. Which distance is equal to one wavelength?

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• Question 17Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which description and example are correct for a transverse wave?

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• Question 18May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Waves transfer energy. Which statement does not describe a wave?

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• Question 19Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The table gives information about seismic waves. Which row is correct?

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