Waves — IGCSE Sciences - Co-Ordinated (0973) questions by topic
Waves questions in IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences ask for the angle of reflection at a plane mirror, how fast X-rays travel through empty space, the relationship between vibration and propagation directions in a transverse wave, and which statement about a mirror image is incorrect, worth from 1 to 12 marks.
Identify, state and calculate top the command words, with describe and draw also frequent: draw an accurate reflected ray using the normal, not a rough sketch. 40 real questions from 2023 to 2025 papers sit below. Submitting each answer for instant marking flags an incorrect angle measured from the mirror surface rather than the normal, immediately.
May–June 2025, Paper 11
What is the name of the distance between one wave crest and the next wave crest? A amplitude B frequency C speed D wavelength
Answer this question and get it marked →The diagram shows two rays of light passing through a thin converging lens to form an image of an object. Four distances are labelled. Distance A is from the object to the lens…
Answer this question and get it marked →The diagram shows light hitting a plane mirror. An incident ray strikes the mirror, a normal is drawn at the point of incidence, and the reflected ray leaves the mirror. The angle…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 12
A student investigates the motion of a small ball that is floating on water in a tank. A wave passes along the water surface from left to right. What happens to the ball? A It…
Answer this question and get it marked →Light travels from air into water. A ray in air strikes the boundary; angle X is between the incoming ray and the normal in air, and angle Y is between the ray in water and the…
Answer this question and get it marked →The table shows the highest frequency of sound heard by different animals. animal highest frequency heard / kHz --- --- bat 200 bird 10 cat 79 The highest frequency sound that a…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 21
The diagram shows a ray of light passing from medium P to medium Q and then to medium R. The speeds of light in each of the mediums P, Q and R are cP, cQ and cR respectively. The…
Answer this question and get it marked →What is the speed of X-rays in a vacuum? A 3.0 x 10^2 m/s B 3.0 x 10^4 m/s C 3.0 x 10^6 m/s D 3.0 x 10^8 m/s
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 22
A wave approaches a gap in a barrier. The gap is the same size as the wavelength of the wave. The arrow shows the direction of the wave. Which diagram shows what happens to the…
Answer this question and get it marked →What is the difference between a real image and a virtual image? A A real image can be shown on a screen, but a virtual image cannot. B A real image is always formed by a…
Answer this question and get it marked →Which row shows the type of electromagnetic wave used in each application? television remote controllers satellite television --- --- --- A infrared microwaves B infrared…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 32
A scientist is studying a polar bear. State the minimum frequency audible to humans. minimum frequency = .................... Hz
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 42
State the relationship between the direction of vibration and the direction of propagation of a transverse wave.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 11
Which type of electromagnetic wave is emitted by a television remote controller? A gamma-rays B infrared C ultraviolet D X-rays
Answer this question and get it marked →An electric bell is suspended by a rubber band in a glass jar. The hammer hits the bell and makes it ring. A pump removes air from the jar. The hammer still hits the bell but no…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 12
The diagram shows a ray of light travelling from glass into air. Which labelled arrow shows the path of the light in the air? [Diagram: ray from glass to air; refracted-path…
Answer this question and get it marked →The diagrams represent two different sound waves, P and Q, drawn to the same scale. Wave Q has a larger amplitude and a higher frequency than wave P. [Displacement-time graphs:…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 21
A wave has an amplitude, a frequency and a wavelength. Three definitions are given. 1 the maximum displacement from the rest position 2 the number of wavefronts passing a point in…
Answer this question and get it marked →A thin converging lens produces a real image of an object. What happens to the image as the object is moved away from the lens? A It becomes larger and stays inverted. B It…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 22
The diagram shows the direction of a wave that passes a particle. The particle is made to vibrate by the wave, with the direction of vibration perpendicular to the direction of…
Answer this question and get it marked →A plane mirror is fixed to a vertical wall and forms an image of an object. What are the characteristics of the image? A enlarged and upright B enlarged and inverted C same size…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 41
Fig. 3.1 shows a ripple tank used to investigate water waves; an electric motor causes a board to vibrate, producing waves at a constant rate. The motor causes the board to move…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 31
A moth is attracted to light. Fig. 9.1 shows a converging lens and a moth placed beyond the focal point. [Fig. 9.1: Diagram showing a converging lens with focal point F marked. An…
Answer this question and get it marked →The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 1.5 × 10⁸ km. The speed of light is 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s. Calculate the time it takes for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth. Show your…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 41
A mobile phone is placed on a wireless charging pad. Fig. 6.1 shows the charging pad. Light travels from a glass screen into air at an angle. Complete the table to show how the…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 11
A man stands 420 m away from a high wall. He bangs a drum once and starts a stop-watch at the same time. When he hears an echo from the wall, the stop-watch reads 2.4 s. What is…
Answer this question and get it marked →A student stands in front of a plane mirror on a wall. Which statement about the image of the student is not correct? A The image is laterally inverted (left to right). B The…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 12
What is the name of the distance between two consecutive crests of a water wave? A amplitude B frequency C speed D wavelength
Answer this question and get it marked →An object is placed in front of a plane mirror on a wall. What are the characteristics of the image formed? A same size as object and inverted top to bottom B same size as object…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 21
A student stands in front of a plane mirror on a wall. Which statement about the image of the student is not correct? A The image is laterally inverted (left to right). B The…
Answer this question and get it marked →A wave has a frequency of 3.0 MHz and a speed of 1500 m/s. What is the wavelength of the wave? A 5.0 x 10^-4 m B 0.50 m C 500 m D 4500 m
Answer this question and get it marked →The diagram shows a ray of light passing from air into plastic. The angle of incidence in air is 30 degrees from the normal and the angle of refraction in the plastic is 18…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 22
An object is placed in front of a plane mirror on a wall. What are the characteristics of the image formed? A same size as object and inverted top to bottom B same size as object…
Answer this question and get it marked →A ray of light in air enters glass at an angle of incidence of 34 degrees. The refractive index of glass is 1.5. What is the angle of refraction of the ray of light in the glass?…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 32
Table 6.1 shows the audible frequency range of five animals: bat (200000-2000 Hz), dog (50000-50 Hz), elephant (12000-5 Hz), rat (76000-200 Hz), whale (123000-1000 Hz). State…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 11
A ray of light enters a parallel-sided glass block. [Diagram: ray refracts into a parallel-sided glass block; possible exit points A, B, C, D.] At which labelled point does the…
Answer this question and get it marked →Which change to a sound wave makes the sound louder? A decreasing the amplitude B decreasing the wavelength C increasing the amplitude D increasing the wavelength
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 21
When light passes from air into glass its speed decreases but its frequency remains constant. Light travelling in air enters a glass block at an angle of incidence that is greater…
Answer this question and get it marked →Which change to a sound wave makes the sound louder? A decreasing the amplitude B decreasing the wavelength C increasing the amplitude D increasing the wavelength
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 41
Fig. 12.1 shows a ray of light refracted as it enters a glass block, with an angle of incidence of 53 degrees and an angle of refraction of 31 degrees. Use Fig. 12.1 to calculate…
Answer this question and get it marked →Other IGCSE Sciences - Co-Ordinated topics
- Motion, forces and energy (77)
- Electricity and magnetism (65)
- Practical skills (60)
- Organic chemistry (40)
- Atoms, elements and compounds (29)
- Organisms and their environment (28)
- Stoichiometry (24)
- Chemical reactions (22)
- The Periodic Table (22)
- Human nutrition (21)
- Reproduction (21)
- Thermal physics (20)