Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Chapter
Light and Sound
70 practice questions
Topics covered
Practice questions
1–10 of 36 · Normal
Question 1
1 mark · Normal
Answer and see the solution →State whether light waves are transverse or longitudinal.
Question 2
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A ray of light strikes a plane mirror at an angle of 36° to the normal.
(a)[1 mark]State the law of reflection.
(b)[1 mark]Calculate the angle of reflection.
(c)[1 mark]If the angle of incidence is increased to 48°, what will the new angle of reflection be?
Question 3
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student shines a ray of light at a glass block at an angle of 30° to the normal. The glass has a refractive index of 1.52.
(a)[1 mark]State Snell's law (the law of refraction) in words.
(b)[3 marks]Calculate the angle of refraction in the glass. Give your answer to 2 decimal places. ( refractive~index = \frac{sin~i}{sin~r} )
Question 4
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Describe an experiment to determine the refractive index of a glass block using a ray box and a protractor.
(a)[1 mark]List the apparatus you would need.
(b)[2 marks]Outline the steps you would take during the experiment.
(c)[1 mark]State how you would use your results to calculate the refractive index.
Question 5
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The diagram shows a light ray travelling from air into glass at an angle of incidence of 0°.
Ray entering glass at 0° to the normal (diagram not to scale) Explain, using physics ideas, why the ray does not change direction as it enters the glass.
(a)[3 marks]Question 6
1 mark · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Which statement is correct about the angle of incidence and angle of reflection for a plane mirror?
- A.The angle of incidence is always larger than the angle of reflection.
- B.The angle of incidence is always smaller than the angle of reflection.
- C.The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
- D.The angle of incidence is always 90°.
Question 7
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Calculate the refractive index of a material if a ray of light enters it from air (angle of incidence 50°) and the angle of refraction is found to be 28°. ( refractive~index = \frac{sin~i}{sin~r} )
Question 8
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Describe one difference between a luminous object and a non-luminous object. Give an example of each.
Question 9
5 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student uses a prism made from glass with refractive index 1.52. She shines a ray of light at 49° to the normal onto the surface between glass and air.
(a)[2 marks]Calculate the critical angle for this glass–air boundary. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
(b)[3 marks]Will the ray undergo total internal reflection at the boundary? Explain your answer with a calculation or comparison.
Question 10
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Prisms are often used in periscopes instead of mirrors. State one advantage of using prisms over mirrors and explain why this is beneficial.