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Light and sound

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Question 2

A student investigates how light and sound waves behave when they reflect off plane surfaces, and how optical images are formed.

a.

Identify the two correct statements from the list below:

  1. Sound waves can reflect off flat surfaces following the same law of reflection as light waves.
  2. A virtual image is an image from which light rays appear to diverge but do not actually pass through.
  3. Light waves are longitudinal waves, whereas sound waves are transverse waves.
  4. The virtual image formed by a plane mirror is always vertically inverted (upside-down).
  5. The image is located twice as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it.
[2]
b.

The diagram below shows a light ray reflecting from a horizontal plane mirror.

A horizontal plane mirror with an incident ray, reflected ray, and a vertical normal line. The angle between the incident and reflected ray is marked as 128 degrees.

(i) What is the name of the dashed line perpendicular to the mirror surface? (ii) Calculate the angle of incidence for this ray of light.

[3]
c.

In a physics laboratory, a student traces the path of light reflecting off a vertical plane mirror to find the position of the image of an object pin AAA. They mark the path of one reflected ray using two sighting pins, S1 S_1\,S1​ and S2S_2S2​, placed along the line of sight of the image.

(i) Step-by-step, describe how the student should find the position of the image of pin A A\,A on their page using geometric construction lines. (ii) Describe how the student can check and confirm that the position of this constructed image is correct using direct measurements with a ruler.

[6]

Light and sound Questions

  1. IGCSE
  2. /Physics
  3. /Light and sound