Example test [24 marks]

1. [Maximum mark: 1] 23M.1.HL.TZ1.12

A wave is polarized. What must be correct about the wave?

It is a…

A. transverse wave.

B. longitudinal wave.

C. standing wave.

D. travelling wave. [1]

2. [Maximum mark: 1] 23M.1.HL.TZ2.12
A longitudinal wave is travelling through a medium. The variation with
distance d of the displacement x of the particles in the medium at time
t is shown.

Which point is at the centre of a compression?

[1]
3. [Maximum mark: 1] 22N.1.HL.TZ0.14
A sound wave travels through a gas at a speed of 270 m s−1. The graph
shows the variation of the displacement s of the gas particles with
distance d from the source.

What is the frequency of the wave?

A. 180 Hz

B. 360 Hz

C. 450 Hz

D. 900 Hz [1]
4. [Maximum mark: 1] 22M.1.HL.TZ1.16
Monochromatic light of wavelength λ is incident on two slits S1 and
S2. An interference pattern is observed on the screen.

O is equidistant from S1 and S2. A bright fringe is observed at O and a

dark fringe at X.

There are two dark fringes between O and X. What is the path
difference between the light arriving at X from the two slits?

A.
λ

B.
3λ

C.
5λ

D.
7λ

2
[1]
5. [Maximum mark: 1] 22M.1.HL.TZ1.17
A standing wave is formed on a string. P and Q are adjacent antinodes
on the wave. Three statements are made by a student:

I. The distance between P and Q is half a wavelength.

II. P and Q have a phase difference of π rad.
III. Energy is transferred between P and Q.

Which statements are correct?

A. I and II only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II and III [1]

6. [Maximum mark: 1] 22M.1.HL.TZ2.12

A particle undergoes simple harmonic motion. Which quantities of the
motion can be simultaneously zero?

A. Displacement and velocity

B. Displacement and acceleration

C. Velocity and acceleration

D. Displacement, velocity and acceleration [1]

7. [Maximum mark: 1] 22M.1.HL.TZ2.30
In two different experiments, white light is passed through a single slit
and then is either refracted through a prism or diffracted with a
diffraction grating. The prism produces a band of colours from M to N.
The diffraction grating produces a first order spectrum P to Q.

What are the colours observed at M and P?

[1]
8. [Maximum mark: 1] 21N.1.HL.TZ0.13
The diagram shows an interference pattern observed on a screen in a
double-slit experiment with monochromatic light of wavelength 600
nm. The screen is 1.0 m from the slits.

What is the separation of the slits?

A. 6.0 × 10−7 m

B. 6.0 × 10−6 m

C. 6.0 × 10−5 m

D. 6.0 × 10−4 m [1]

9. [Maximum mark: 1] 21M.1.HL.TZ1.13
Monochromatic light of wavelength λ is incident on a double slit. The
resulting interference pattern is observed on a screen a distance y from
the slits. The distance between consecutive fringes in the pattern is 55
mm when the slit separation is a.

λ, y and a are all doubled. What is the new distance between

consecutive fringes?

A. 55 mm

B. 110 mm

C. 220 mm

D. 440 mm [1]

10. [Maximum mark: 1] 21M.1.HL.TZ1.14

A metal rod of length 45 cm is clamped at its mid point. The speed of
sound in the metal rod is 1500 m s−1 and the speed of sound in air is
300 m s−1. The metal rod vibrates at its first harmonic. What is the
wavelength in air of the sound wave produced by the metal rod?

A. 4.5 cm

B. 9.0 cm

C. 18 cm

D. 90 cm [1]
11. [Maximum mark: 1] 21M.1.HL.TZ2.12
Which graph shows the variation of amplitude with intensity for a
wave?

[1]
12. [Maximum mark: 1] 20N.1.HL.TZ0.12
Wavefronts travel from air to medium Q as shown.

What is the refractive index of Q?

sin 30°
A. sin 45°

sin 45°
B. sin 30°

C. sin 45°

sin 60°

sin 60°
D. sin 45°
[1]
13. [Maximum mark: 1] 19N.1.HL.TZ0.12
The graph shows the variation with time for the displacement of a
particle in a travelling wave.

What are the frequency and amplitude for the oscillation of the
particle?

[1]
14. [Maximum mark: 1] 19N.1.HL.TZ0.14
A pipe of length 0.6 m is filled with a gas and closed at one end. The
speed of sound in the gas is 300 m s–1. What are the frequencies of the
first two harmonics in the tube?

A. 125 Hz and 250 Hz

B. 125 Hz and 375 Hz

C. 250 Hz and 500 Hz

D. 250 Hz and 750 Hz [1]

15. [Maximum mark: 1] 19M.1.HL.TZ1.13

A glass block of refractive index 1.5 is immersed in a tank filled with a
liquid of higher refractive index. Light is incident on the base of the
glass block. Which is the correct diagram for rays incident on the glass
block at an angle greater than the critical angle?

[1]
16. [Maximum mark: 1] 19M.1.HL.TZ1.14
In an experiment to determine the speed of sound in air, a tube that is
open at the top is filled with water and a vibrating tuning fork is held
over the tube as the water is released through a valve.

An increase in intensity in the sound is heard for the first time when the
air column length is x. The next increase is heard when the air column
length is y.

Which expressions are approximately correct for the wavelength of the

sound?

I. 4x

II. 4y

4y
III. 3

A. I and II

B. I and III

C. II and III
 D. I, II and III [1]

17. [Maximum mark: 1] 19M.1.HL.TZ2.20

A third-harmonic standing wave of wavelength 0.80 m is set up on a
string fixed at both ends. Two points on the wave are separated by a
distance of 0.60 m. What is a possible phase difference between the
two points on the wave?

A. π

4
rad

B. π

2
rad

C. πrad

3π
D. 2
rad [1]

18. [Maximum mark: 1] 18N.1.HL.TZ0.13

L is a point source of light. The intensity of the light at a distance 2x
from L is I. What is the intensity at a distance 3x from L?

4
A. 9
I

2
B. 3
I

3
C. 2
I

D. 9

4
I [1]
19. [Maximum mark: 1] 18N.1.HL.TZ0.14
X and Y are two coherent sources of waves. The phase difference
between X and Y is zero. The intensity at P due to X and Y separately is I.
The wavelength of each wave is 0.20 m.

What is the resultant intensity at P?

A. 0

B. I

C. 2I

D. 4I [1]
20. [Maximum mark: 1] 18N.1.HL.TZ0.15
Light is incident at the boundary between air and diamond. The speed
of light in diamond is less than the speed of light in air. The angle of
incidence i of the light is greater than the critical angle. Which diagram
is correct for this situation?

[1]
21. [Maximum mark: 1] 18M.1.HL.TZ1.13
A ray of light passes from the air into a long glass plate of refractive
index n at an angle θ to the edge of the plate.

The ray is incident on the internal surface of the glass plate and the
refracted ray travels along the external surface of the plate.

What change to n and what change to θ will cause the ray to travel
entirely within the plate after incidence?

[1]
22. [Maximum mark: 1] 18M.1.HL.TZ2.13
A string stretched between two fixed points sounds its second
harmonic at frequency f.

Which expression, where n is an integer, gives the frequencies of

harmonics that have a node at the centre of the string?

A. n+1

2
f

B. nf

C. 2nf

D. (2n + 1)f [1]

23. [Maximum mark: 1] 17N.1.HL.TZ0.11
The graph shows the variation with position s of the displacement x of
a wave undergoing simple harmonic motion (SHM).

What is the magnitude of the velocity at the displacements X, Y and Z?

[1]
24. [Maximum mark: 1] 17N.1.HL.TZ0.14
The diagram shows a second harmonic standing wave on a string fixed
at both ends.

What is the phase difference, in rad, between the particle at X and the
particle at Y?

A. 0

B. π

C. π

D. 3π

[1]

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