Waves in air, fluids and solids

EasyMedium
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839
Question 25
Medium

An investigator conducts an experiment to analyze the reflection of light waves off a highly reflective, horizontal liquid surface.

A light ray is incident on a horizontal liquid surface. The angle between the incident ray and the liquid surface is 29 degrees. A dashed normal line is perpendicular to the surface.

a.

Calculate the angle of incidence of the light ray, showing your working.

[2]
b.

State the angle of reflection of the light ray, citing the relevant law of physics.

[1]
c.

The investigator compares two methods of producing the incident beam:

  • Method P uses a standard filament lamp with a slit collimator, which produces a beam that spreads out (diverges) over distance.
  • Method Q uses a helium-neon (He-Ne) gas laser, which produces a highly collimated, extremely narrow beam.

Explain two reasons why Method Q provides more accurate measurements of the reflection angles than Method P.

[2]

Waves in air, fluids and solids Questions

  1. GCSE
  2. /Physics
  3. /Waves in air, fluids and solids