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Physics of the ear: AQA A‑Level Physics questions

Every AQA A-Level Physics exam question on 3.10.2 Physics of the ear, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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2,714 questions

  1. Q03.1

    June 2025 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.1: State what is meant by the threshold of hearing for a person with good hearing. [2 marks]

  2. Q03.2

    June 2025 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    3 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.2: The eardrum of the person being tested has a cross-sectional area of 60 mm2. Calculate the power that is incident on the eardrum when the frequency is 50 Hz. [3

  3. Q03.3

    June 2025 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.3: Sketch, on Figure 4, an equal loudness curve that passes through 100 dB at 1 kHz. [2 marks]

  4. Q02.1

    June 2024 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    4 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 02.1: A stadium is full of spectators. The peak sound-intensity level at the centre of the stadium is 110 dB. On another occasion the number of spectators in the stad

  5. Q02.2

    June 2024 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 02.2: Describe the changes to a person’s hearing that may result from prolonged exposure to sound at 110 dB. [2 marks]

  6. Q03.1

    June 2023 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    1 mark3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.1: Define sound intensity. [1 mark]

  7. Q03.2

    June 2023 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    1 mark3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.2: The intensity level, in dB, of a sound is I. What is the intensity level of a sound with double the intensity? Tick () one box. [1 mark] I + 2 I + 3 I + 7 2I 3

  8. Q03.3

    June 2023 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.3: The amplitude of the pressure wave at the oval window of an ear is 20 times greater than at the tympanic membrane. Calculate the ratio force on oval window forc

  9. Q03.1

    June 2022 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    3 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.1: Sketch an equal loudness curve on Figure 3 showing the normal response of a healthy ear. Annotate the frequency axis with an appropriate scale. [3 marks] Figure

  10. Q03.2

    June 2022 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.2: Describe the procedure used to gather the data for an equal loudness curve. [2 marks]

  11. Q03.3

    June 2022 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.3: Calculate the intensity of a sound that produces an intensity level of 30 dB. [2 marks] intensity = W m−2

  12. Q03.1

    November 2021 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    3 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2021 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.1: A point source of sound has a power of 17 W. Calculate, in dB, the intensity level at a distance of 12 m from the source. [3 marks] intensity level = dB

  13. Q03.2

    November 2021 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2021 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 03.2: The frequency of a sound is increased from 3.0 kHz to 8.0 kHz with no change in intensity. One change in the sound perceived by a person with normal hearing is

  14. Q02.1

    November 2020 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 02.1: Explain how the ossicles contribute to this increase in pressure in the fluid of the inner ear. [2 marks]

  15. Q02.2

    November 2020 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    3 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 02.2: The ear’s tympanic membrane can be assumed to be a circle of diameter 1.0 cm. Calculate the area, in m2, of the oval window. [3 marks] area = m2

  16. Q02.1

    June 2019 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2019 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 02.1: Customer P moves to a distance of 7.0 m from the loudspeaker. Calculate the sound intensity at the new position of customer P. Assume that the loudspeaker is a

  17. Q02.2

    June 2019 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2019 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 02.2: The sound intensity level is 65 dB at the position of customer Q and 42 dB at the position of customer R. Calculate the ratio sound intensity at the position of

  18. Q02.3

    June 2019 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    2 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2019 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 02.3: Customer Q perceives the loudness of the sound differently to customer R. Discuss whether the use of intensity level or intensity is more appropriate to compare

  19. Q02.4

    June 2019 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    3 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2019 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 02.4: Customers P, Q and R move to the same distance from the loudspeaker. Customer P is 80 years old and has hearing loss due to her age. Customer Q is 35 years old

  20. Q04.1

    June 2018 · Paper 3 Medical physics

    4 marks3.10.2 Physics of the ear
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2018 Paper 3 Medical physics, question 04.1: A source of constant output power is used to generate a sound which is measured using a sound meter. The dashed line in Figure 3 shows the intensity level curve
All 25 questions on Physics of the ear, as a list
  1. June 2025, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.1 (2 marks): State what is meant by the threshold of hearing for a person with good hearing. [2 marks]
  2. June 2025, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.2 (3 marks): The eardrum of the person being tested has a cross-sectional area of 60 mm2. Calculate the power that is incident on the eardrum when the frequency is 50 Hz. [3
  3. June 2025, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.3 (2 marks): Sketch, on Figure 4, an equal loudness curve that passes through 100 dB at 1 kHz. [2 marks]
  4. June 2024, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.1 (4 marks): A stadium is full of spectators. The peak sound-intensity level at the centre of the stadium is 110 dB. On another occasion the number of spectators in the stad
  5. June 2024, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.2 (2 marks): Describe the changes to a person’s hearing that may result from prolonged exposure to sound at 110 dB. [2 marks]
  6. June 2023, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.1 (1 mark): Define sound intensity. [1 mark]
  7. June 2023, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.2 (1 mark): The intensity level, in dB, of a sound is I. What is the intensity level of a sound with double the intensity? Tick () one box. [1 mark] I + 2 I + 3 I + 7 2I 3
  8. June 2023, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.3 (2 marks): The amplitude of the pressure wave at the oval window of an ear is 20 times greater than at the tympanic membrane. Calculate the ratio force on oval window forc
  9. June 2022, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.1 (3 marks): Sketch an equal loudness curve on Figure 3 showing the normal response of a healthy ear. Annotate the frequency axis with an appropriate scale. [3 marks] Figure
  10. June 2022, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.2 (2 marks): Describe the procedure used to gather the data for an equal loudness curve. [2 marks]
  11. June 2022, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.3 (2 marks): Calculate the intensity of a sound that produces an intensity level of 30 dB. [2 marks] intensity = W m−2
  12. November 2021, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.1 (3 marks): A point source of sound has a power of 17 W. Calculate, in dB, the intensity level at a distance of 12 m from the source. [3 marks] intensity level = dB
  13. November 2021, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q03.2 (2 marks): The frequency of a sound is increased from 3.0 kHz to 8.0 kHz with no change in intensity. One change in the sound perceived by a person with normal hearing is
  14. November 2020, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.1 (2 marks): Explain how the ossicles contribute to this increase in pressure in the fluid of the inner ear. [2 marks]
  15. November 2020, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.2 (3 marks): The ear’s tympanic membrane can be assumed to be a circle of diameter 1.0 cm. Calculate the area, in m2, of the oval window. [3 marks] area = m2
  16. June 2019, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.1 (2 marks): Customer P moves to a distance of 7.0 m from the loudspeaker. Calculate the sound intensity at the new position of customer P. Assume that the loudspeaker is a
  17. June 2019, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.2 (2 marks): The sound intensity level is 65 dB at the position of customer Q and 42 dB at the position of customer R. Calculate the ratio sound intensity at the position of
  18. June 2019, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.3 (2 marks): Customer Q perceives the loudness of the sound differently to customer R. Discuss whether the use of intensity level or intensity is more appropriate to compare
  19. June 2019, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.4 (3 marks): Customers P, Q and R move to the same distance from the loudspeaker. Customer P is 80 years old and has hearing loss due to her age. Customer Q is 35 years old
  20. June 2018, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q04.1 (4 marks): A source of constant output power is used to generate a sound which is measured using a sound meter. The dashed line in Figure 3 shows the intensity level curve
  21. June 2018, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q04.2 (4 marks): Mesh barriers are set up to keep pedestrians at a safe distance from a noisy drill. The maximum noise level which pedestrians should be subjected to is 110 dB T
  22. Specimen, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.1 (2 marks): Sound waves are incident on a human ear. Describe how the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations change as the wave is transmitted through the ear to the flu
  23. Specimen, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.2 (3 marks): Explain how the components of the ear act to amplify the pressure changes due to th sound wave. [3 mark 0 2 . 2
  24. Specimen, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.3 (3 marks): A sound intensity meter, set to the dB scale, is placed near to a source of sound. Th intensity level reading on the sound meter is 82 dB. Calculate in, W m−2,
  25. Specimen, Paper 3 Medical physics, Q02.4 (2 marks): The sound intensity meter is 2.0 m from the source which is emitting sound equally in all directions. Calculate the power emitted by the source. [2 marks] power

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