Oscillations — AS & A Level Physics (9702) questions by topic
Oscillations questions cover displacement-time graphs for vibrating air particles, defining resonance and simple harmonic motion, and tracking potential energy through a full swing, worth from 1 to 11 marks in this A Level Physics set.
State, calculate and draw lead the command words, with deduce and explain also frequent: draw a displacement-time or acceleration-time graph to half-square accuracy, not roughly. 17 real questions from 2023 to 2025 papers make up this page. Submitting each attempt for instant marking flags a centimetre-to-metre conversion missed, or elastic potential energy confused with gravitational potential energy, straight away.
What examiners look for
- A common error is neglecting the conversion from centimetres to metres in an acceleration calculation.
- Examiners note candidates give the general SHM equation without credit until the maximum displacement value is clearly substituted.
- A recurring criticism is confusing acceleration with velocity, producing closed loops instead of the expected graph shape.
- A common misconception is treating potential energy as gravitational or elastic individually, rather than recognising both change together through a swing.
- Reports flag candidates giving a one significant figure answer when it was not appropriate, and errors such as omitting a required subtraction from total energy.
May–June 2025, Paper 41
A block of wood floats in a liquid in a container. The block is displaced vertically and then released. Fig. 5.2 shows the variation of the height h of the bottom of the block…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 42
State what is meant by simple harmonic motion.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 43
A cuboidal block floats in a liquid with its base horizontal. The base of the block is at a depth h below the surface of the liquid. The block is displaced downwards by a small…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 44
State what is meant by simple harmonic motion.
Answer this question and get it marked →A bar magnet is suspended from a spring. One pole of the magnet oscillates freely in a coil of wire connected in series with a resistor R and a switch S. The switch S is initially…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 41
May–June 2024, Paper 42
A block of mass m oscillates vertically on a spring, as shown in Fig. 4.1. The acceleration a of the block varies with displacement x from its equilibrium position, as shown in…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 43
October–November 2024, Paper 41
State what is meant by simple harmonic motion.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 42
Fig. 5.1 shows a pendulum consisting of a metal sphere suspended by a thin string. The sphere undergoes small oscillations about its equilibrium position. The oscillations may be…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 43
State what is meant by simple harmonic motion.
Answer this question and get it marked →February–March 2023, Paper 42
An object is suspended from a vertical spring as shown in Fig. 3.1. The object is displaced vertically and then released so that it oscillates, undergoing simple harmonic motion.…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 42
A small steel sphere is oscillating vertically on the end of a spring, as shown in Fig. 4.1. The velocity v of the sphere varies with displacement x from its equilibrium position…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 13
When sound travels through air, the air particles vibrate. A graph of displacement against time for a single air particle is shown, with two complete oscillations over the…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 41
A heavy metal sphere of mass 0.81 kg is suspended from a string. The sphere is undergoing small oscillations from side to side, as shown in Fig. 4.1. The oscillations of the…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 42
An electron in a metal rod moves randomly about a mean position. When an alternating voltage is applied to the ends of the rod, the mean position can be considered to oscillate…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 43
A heavy metal sphere of mass 0.81 kg is suspended from a string. The sphere is undergoing small oscillations from side to side, as shown in Fig. 4.1. The oscillations of the…
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