Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Physics · 4PH1 · Free · no account needed
The Wave Equation — exam questions
10 original Incandio exam-style questions on the Wave Equation, 24 marks, about 24 minutes of writing. Each one carries the command word, the tariff and the specification statement it assesses, exactly as a paper presents them. This is an original Incandio practice question, written to reflect the structure and demands of the qualification. It is not an official Pearson Edexcel past-paper question.
This is the practice set for The Wave Equation — the lesson that teaches it. Read the lesson first if the idea is new; come here when you want to find out whether you can turn it into marks. Completely free, no account needed to read.
What these questions ask of you
8 command words run through this set, and on Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Physics each one means something precise. Answering the wrong command is the commonest way a candidate who understands the lesson still loses the mark.
- State what is meant by (1–2 marks)
- the definition
- Which (1 mark)
- one option chosen from the set given
- Calculate (1–5 marks)
- select the equation, substitute, evaluate — and state the unit Misread as: giving a bare number with no equation and no unit
- Explain (2–4 marks)
- the physics that causes it, set out as a line of reasoning Misread as: describing the change without giving the physical reason for it
- Give (1–2 marks)
- a short factual answer
- Suggest (1–3 marks)
- a plausible answer applying taught physics to an unfamiliar arrangement
- Determine (1–4 marks)
- a value obtained by combining a reading or gradient with a relationship
- Show that (2–4 marks)
- a derivation to a printed value, worked to at least one more decimal place than the value given Misread as: restating the printed value instead of deriving it
Assessed on Paper 1 (4PH1/1P) and Paper 2 (4PH1/2P), against AO1, AO2.
Where these sit in the specification
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Physics (4PH1) — statements 3.5 · 3.6 · 3.7. Incandio is aligned to this specification; it is not published by, endorsed by or affiliated with Pearson, and it reproduces none of Pearson's wording.
The 10 questions
Answer them on paper, then open the lesson's exam practice to have them marked. The mark scheme, the accepted and rejected answers and the annotated model answer are in Incandio and are not printed here — an answer beside its question is not practice.
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A student uses a ripple tank to study water waves. A motor dips a bar into the water 12 times every second, and she measures the distance between one wave crest and the next as 2.5 cm.
(a)
(1)Give
Give the frequency of the water waves.
A student uses a ripple tank to study water waves. A motor dips a bar into the water 12 times every second, and she measures the distance between one wave crest and the next as 2.5 cm.
frequency of the water waves = ............................ Hz
(b)
(3)Calculate
Calculate the speed of the water waves.
A student uses a ripple tank to study water waves. A motor dips a bar into the water 12 times every second, and she measures the distance between one wave crest and the next as 2.5 cm.
speed of the water waves = ............................ m/s
(c)
(2)Suggest
The student doubles the rate at which the bar dips, without changing the water. Suggest what happens to the wavelength of the waves.
A student uses a ripple tank to study water waves. A motor dips a bar into the water 12 times every second, and she measures the distance between one wave crest and the next as 2.5 cm.
(Total for Question 1 = 6 marks)
-
(1)State what is meant by
State what is meant by the frequency of a wave.
(Total for Question 2 = 1 mark)
-
(1)Which
Which quantity is measured in hertz?
Quantity A wavelength B amplitude C frequency D wave speed (Total for Question 3 = 1 mark)
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(3)Calculate
A sound wave has a frequency of 340 Hz and a wavelength of 1.0 m. Calculate its speed.
speed = ............................ m/s
(Total for Question 4 = 3 marks)
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(4)Calculate
A radio station broadcasts at a frequency of 97.6 MHz. Radio waves travel at 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s. Calculate the wavelength of the broadcast.
wavelength of the broadcast = ............................ m
(Total for Question 5 = 4 marks)
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(3)Explain
A wave passes from deep water into shallow water. Its frequency stays the same but it slows down. Explain what happens to its wavelength.
(Total for Question 6 = 3 marks)
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(3)Determine
The period of a vibrating guitar string is 0.0040 s. Determine the frequency of the note it produces.
............................ Hz
(Total for Question 7 = 3 marks)
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(3)Show that
An ultrasound pulse of frequency 2.5 MHz travels through tissue at 1540 m/s. Show that its wavelength is about 0.6 mm.
(Total for Question 8 = 3 marks)
Have them marked, then defend the answer
Practice tells you the mark; teaching it back tells you whether you understand it. On Incandio a topic counts as mastered only once you have taught it and defended it.
- Mark these questions — 10 questions, marked on Incandio against the authored scheme, with the mistake you actually made named.
- Teach it — explain the Wave Equation to Ember, an AI pupil who does not have it yet and asks the awkward question.
- Defend it — argue it against Marin Mersenne over three rounds, marked against descriptors you can read first.
Completely free. No subscriptions, no paywalls, no account needed to start.
Back to the lesson
- The Wave Equation — Two equations that connect everything on the previous page — and one of them you could have worked out yourself.
- All of Incandio Physics · Incandio Exam Practice