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Some students use water waves in a ripple tank to model how light behaves.

Figure 1 shows straight parallel wave fronts in a region of shallow water approaching a diagonal boundary. As they cross the boundary into a region of deep water, the wave fronts bend because they travel faster in deep water, and the distance between adjacent wave fronts increases.

Figure 1

Explain why refraction (a change in the direction of the wave fronts) occurs at the boundary as the waves travel from the shallow water into the deep water.

[3]

Figure 2 shows straight parallel wave fronts in a region of shallow water approaching a vertical boundary. The wave fronts are parallel to the boundary. As they cross into the region of deep water, they remain parallel to the boundary but the distance between consecutive wave fronts increases.

Figure 2

Explain why the wave fronts in Figure 2 do not refract (change direction) when they cross the boundary, even though their speed changes.

[2]

Waves in air, fluids and solids Questions

Practise AQA GCSE Physics Waves in air, fluids and solids with exam-style questions for Foundation and Higher tier. 45 questions covering Transverse and longitudinal waves, Properties of waves, Reflection of waves (physics only), Sound waves (physics only) (HT only), and Waves for detection and exploration (physics only) (HT only), matched to the AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification and written in Paper 1 and Paper 2 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.