plumiReflection, refraction and absorption: Edexcel GCSE Combined Science questions
Every Edexcel GCSE Combined Science exam question on Reflection, refraction and absorption (specification points 4.10–4.11), 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
Paper
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Exam
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Calculations
Q3(a)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q1(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q1(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q1(c)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(b)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)
The whole paper ↗Q3(c)
The whole paper ↗Q3(d)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)
The whole paper ↗Q3(c)
The whole paper ↗Q4(c)
The whole paper ↗Q1(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q1(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q1(a)(iii)
The whole paper ↗
All 24 questions on Reflection, refraction and absorption, as a list
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(a) (4 marks): When light travels from air into glass, it is refracted. To investigate this, a student has a rectangular glass block and a ray box. The ray box produces a ray
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): state what happens to the wavelength of light when the light travels from glass into air (1)
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): state what happens to the frequency of light when the light travels from glass into air. (1)
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(b)(iii) (3 marks): The speed of blue light in air is 3.0 × 108 m / s. Calculate the change in the speed of blue light when it travels from air into glass. Use the equation v = f ×
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(c)(i) (2 marks): The two shaded rows in Figure 2 are not plotted on the graph in Figure 3. Plot these missing results on the graph in Figure 3. (2)
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(c)(ii) (1 mark): Draw a curve of best fit through the points on the graph in Figure 3. (1)
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(c)(iii) (2 marks): Using figure 3, describe the relationship between the angle of refraction and the angle of incidence. (2)
- June 2023, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q4(b) (3 marks): Figure 7 shows the difference in refraction of sound waves and light waves when these waves travel from air into water. light sound air air water water Figure 7
- November 2021, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): On the graph in Figure 5, draw the best fit curve. (1)
- November 2021, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(a)(ii) (1 mark): Use the graph in Figure 5 to estimate the value of angle r when angle i is 80°. (1) angle r = °
- November 2021, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(a)(iii) (2 marks): Describe how angle r changes with angle i for the results shown on the graph in Figure 5. (2)
- November 2021, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(b) (1 mark): In Figure 4, the frequency of the light remains the same in glass as in air. Which row of the table describes what happens to the wave velocity and to the wavel
- November 2021, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(c) (3 marks): In Figure 6, only refraction of light is shown. Other things happen to the light as it travels from P to Q. The intensity (brightness) of the light at Q is less
- November 2021, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(d) (1 mark): Which of these sketch graphs represents the speed of light as it travels from P to Q? (1) A B speed speed of light of light 3 × 108 3 × 108 in m/s in m/s air gl
- November 2020, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(b) (2 marks): To investigate refraction in a rectangular glass block a student uses the apparatus shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 Describe how the student should measure the angl
- November 2020, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(c) (4 marks): Figure 4 is a simplified diagram to show radio waves from a transmitter moving upwards, then meeting a boundary between lower and upper layers of the atmosphere
- June 2019, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q4(c) (2 marks): Sound travels slower in air than it does in water. Figure 6 shows the direction of travel of a sound wave approaching a boundary between air and water. The soun
- June 2018, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): In Figure 1, angle Y is the angle of (1) A deflection B incidence C reflection D refraction
- June 2018, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): Figure 2 is a graph of the student’s results. 50 45 40 35 30 angle Y 25 in degrees 20 15 10 5 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 angle X in degrees Figure 2 Use the graph to
- June 2018, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q1(a)(iii) (3 marks): The student concludes that angle Y is directly proportional to angle X. Explain what the student must do to test this conclusion in more detail. (3)
- June 2018, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q3(c) (3 marks): When white light crosses the boundary between air and glass, it can split up into the colours of the spectrum. Explain, in terms of speed, why the light behaves
- June 2018, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): In Figure 8, angle Y is the angle of (1) A deflection B incidence C reflection D refraction
- June 2018, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): Figure 9 is a graph of the student’s results. 50 45 40 35 30 angle Y 25 in degrees 20 15 10 5 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 angle X in degrees Figure 9 Use the graph to
- June 2018, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(a)(iii) (3 marks): The student concludes that angle Y is directly proportional to angle X. Explain what the student must do to test this conclusion in more detail. (3)
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