GCSEPhysicsEdexcelExam Questions5. Light & the Electromagnetic Spectrum5.1 Optics

Optics (Edexcel GCSE Physics)

Exam Questions

1 hour9 questions
Easy
Medium
Hard
1a
Sme Calculator1 mark

Figure 1 shows light waves passing from air into glass.

wavefronts

Figure 1

Which effect is shown in the diagram?

square   A   Dispersion

square   B   Diffraction

square   C   Refraction

square   D   Reflection

How did you do?

1b
Sme Calculator2 marks

State two ways in which the light waves change as they pass from the air into the glass.

How did you do?

1c
Sme Calculator2 marks

On Figure 1:

i)
Draw the normal to the incident ray.
[1]
ii)
Label the angle of incidence on the diagram.
[1]

wavefronts

Figure 1

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

2a
Sme Calculator2 marks

State the two conditions needed for total internal reflection to occur.

How did you do?

2b
Sme Calculator2 marks

An endoscope is a piece of medical equipment used to see inside a person's body. Endoscopes use optical fibres within a long tube which reflects light from inside the patient to an eye piece lens or camera.

Figure 1 shows a section of an endoscope in which light travels from X to Y.

3-2-4a-e-optical-fibre

Figure 1

On Figure 1, complete the path of the light ray until it leaves the section of optical fibre.

How did you do?

2c
Sme Calculator2 marks

Light can be reflected as shown in the endoscope. 

Give two other examples of waves that can be reflected.

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

3a
Sme Calculator4 marks

Images produced by lenses can be real or virtual.

Use words from the box to complete the following sentences.
  
 
upright inverted real virtual converge diverge

 

Real images are formed when light rays ............................. toward a focus.

Real images are always  ..............................

Virtual images are formed when light rays  ............................. from a point.

............................. images cannot be projected onto a screen, whereas ............................. images can.

How did you do?

3b
Sme Calculator1 mark
Which row of the table correctly describes the lens and image formed in Figure 1?

5-1-optics-e-3b-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 1

 
   Lens Image
  square  A converging real
  square  B converging virtual
  square  C diverging real
  square  D diverging virtual

How did you do?

3c
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which row of the table describes an image formation that is not possible?

   Lens Image
  square  A diverging virtual
  square  B converging virtual
  square  C converging real
  square  D diverging real

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

1a4 marks

A student is investigating the refraction of light.

Figure 5 shows part of the apparatus and the angles to be measured.

fig-5-paper1h-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 5

The student measures angle r for several different values of angle i.

Figure 6 shows the student’s results.

fig-6-paper1h-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 6

i)
On the graph in Figure 6, draw the best fit curve.

[1]

ii)
Use the graph in Figure 6 to estimate the value of angle r when angle i is 80°.

[1]
angle r = .............................................................°

iii)
Describe how angle r changes with angle i for the results shown on the graph in Figure 6.

[2]

How did you do?

1b1 mark

Higher Only

 

In Figure 5, the frequency of the light remains the same in glass as in air.

Which row of the table describes what happens to the wave velocity and to the wavelength of the light when the light travels from air to glass?

          wave velocity wavelength
      ☐ A decreases decreases
      ☐ B decreases increases
      ☐ C increases decreases
      ☐ D increases increases

How did you do?

1c3 marks

In Figure 7, only refraction of light is shown.

Other things happen to the light as it travels from P to Q.

The intensity (brightness) of the light at Q is less than the intensity of the light at P.

fig-7-paper1h-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 7

Explain the decrease in intensity as the light travels from P to Q.

You may add to Figure 7 to help your answer.

How did you do?

1d1 mark

Higher Only

 

Which of these sketch graphs represents the speed of light as it travels from P to Q?


8kiZ12pT_q5d-paper1h-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

2a6 marks
A student investigates what happens when light travels from air to glass.

Figure 2 shows some of the apparatus used in the investigation.

q2a-fig-2-ipho-1h-june18-qp-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 2
i)
In Figure 2, angle Y is the angle of
[1]

  ☐ A deflection
  ☐ B incidence
  ☐ C reflection
  ☐ D refraction

ii)
Figure 3 is a graph of the student’s results.
fig-3-ipho-1h-june18-qp-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 3

Use the graph to calculate a value for

fraction numerator angle space straight Y over denominator angle space straight X end fraction

[2]

fraction numerator angle space straight Y over denominator angle space straight X end fraction equals...........................................

iii)
The student concludes that angle Y is directly proportional to angle X.

Explain what the student must do to test this conclusion in more detail.
[3]

How did you do?

2b3 marks

The speed of light is 3.0 × 108 m/s.

The wavelength of yellow light is 5.8 × 10−7 m.

Calculate the frequency of yellow light.

State the unit.

Use the equation:

frequency space equals space speed over wavelength

frequency = .............................................................. unit ................................

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

3a2 marks
Figure 12 is a diagram showing a lens, with some light rays passing through it.

fig-12-paper1f-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 12

i)
This diagram shows a

   [1]

  ☐ A converging lens forming a real image
  ☐ B diverging lens forming a real image 
  ☐ C converging lens forming a virtual image
  ☐ D diverging lens forming a virtual image

ii)
Which length, labeled on Figure 12, shows the focal length of the lens?

[1]
☐ P    
☐ Q    
☐ R    
☐ S    

How did you do?

3b3 marks

Calculate the power of a lens of focal length 17 cm.

Use the equation

power open parentheses in space dioptres close parentheses equals fraction numerator 1 over denominator focal space length space open parentheses in space metres close parentheses end fraction

Give the answer to 2 significant figures.



power = .............................................................. dioptres

How did you do?

3c6 marks

More than two thousand years ago the Earth was believed to be at the centre of the universe as shown in Figure 13.

The planets, the Moon and the Sun were believed to be in orbit around the Earth.

In 1543 Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the Earth was a planet, and that the Earth and the other planets orbit around the Sun.

                    
This model is shown in Figure 14.

                                                 
fig-13-14-paper1f-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physics
 Figure 13                            Figure 14
 

Discuss how evidence has changed our views of the universe.

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

4a3 marks

Figure 3 shows a ray of light going from air to glass.

Fill in the labels in Figure 3 using words from the box. 

fig-3-paper1f-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 3

How did you do?

4b2 marks
i)
An astronomer observes light from a distant galaxy.

As the galaxy moves away from us, the spectrum of the light is 
[1]

  ☐ A blue-shifted
  ☐ B green-shifted
  ☐ C red-shifted
  ☐ D violet-shifted

 

ii)
The shift in the spectrum of light from the distant galaxy provides evidence for the expansion of the
[1]

  ☐ A Earth
  ☐ B Milky way Galaxy
  ☐ C Solar System
  ☐ D Universe

How did you do?

4c2 marks

The speed of sound in air is 300 m/s.

The speed of sound in water is 1500 m/s.

Calculate the ratio of the speed of sound in air to the speed of sound in water.



ratio of speed of sound in air to the speed of sound in water =.................................

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

5a3 marks
i)
Which lens is a converging lens with the greatest power? 
[1]
UhXgYxUt_q4ai-paper1h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics
ii)
The equation that relates the power of a lens to the focal length of the lens is 

power open parentheses in space dioptres close parentheses equals space fraction numerator 1 over denominator focal space length open parentheses in space metres close parentheses end fraction

The power of a lens is 5 dioptres.

Use the equation to calculate the focal length of the lens in cm.  
[2]

How did you do?

5b4 marks
Figure 3 shows a semicircular glass block. 


fig-3-paper1h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 3

Describe how a student could use the semicircular glass block and other apparatus to determine the critical angle for a glass-air boundary.

You should add to the diagram in Figure 3 to help with your answer. 

How did you do?

5c4 marks
i)
A long time ago, scientists believed that the Earth was at the centre of the Solar System.

Evidence has since proved that the Sun is at the centre of the Solar System.

State one other idea about the Solar System that has changed over time.  
[1]

ii)
Figure 4 shows data for some of the planets of the Solar System. 

fig-4-paper1h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 4

Ceres is an asteroid that orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
It takes Ceres 4.6 Earth years to make one orbit of the Sun.

Use the graph to estimate the distance of Ceres from the Sun.

Show your working. 

[3]

distance of Ceres from the Sun = ..................millions of km 

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

1a1 mark

This question is about light.

White light includes all the colours in the visible spectrum.

A beam of white light is the only light that shines on a book.


The book appears green.

A red filter is placed between the source of white light and the book.

What colour does the book appear now?

  ☐ A black
  ☐ B blue
  ☐ C green
  ☐ D red

How did you do?

1b3 marks

Figure 8 shows a shiny metal ball.

fig-8-paper1f-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 8

A clear image of a building can be seen on the surface of the ball.

i)
This clear image is an example of

  ☐ A diffuse reflection
  ☐ B diffuse refraction
  ☐ C specular reflection
  ☐ D specular refraction

[1]

ii)
Explain why the surface of the metal ball gives a clear image.

   You may draw diagrams to help with your answer.

[2]

How did you do?

1c3 marks

Figure 9a and Figure 9b show rays of light before and after passing through different lenses.

fig-9a-9b-paper1f-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

i)
State one similarity and one difference in the way the rays of light pass through the lenses.

[2]


similarity........................................................................................................................

difference......................................................................................................................

ii)
Figure 10 shows two glass lenses P and Q.

fig-10-paper1f-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 10

State how the power of P is different from the power of Q.

[1]

How did you do?

1d6 marks

Figure 11a shows refraction of light at a boundary between glass and air.

Figure 11b shows total internal reflection of light at a boundary between glass and air.

fig-11a-11b-paper1f-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Use Figure 11a and Figure 11b to explain refraction and total internal reflection.

You may add to Figure 11a and Figure 11b to help with your answer.

How did you do?

Did this page help you?