plumiSuperposition, interference, path and phase difference: Edexcel International A Level Physics questions
Edexcel International A Level Physics past-paper questions on 2.3.2.1 Superposition, interference, path and phase difference, 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 34 questions on Superposition, interference, path and phase difference, as a list
- June 2025, AS Unit 2, Q7 (1 mark): Two waves, of wavelength 2 m, are produced by a source at point X, as shown. Both waves are initially in phase. The waves travel different distances and meet at
- January 2025, AS Unit 2, Q4 (1 mark): Two waves on a string move towards each other at the same speed. Both waves have the same wavelength. The diagram shows the string when the waves are half a wav
- October 2024, AS Unit 2, Q13(b) (3 marks): Light arrives at the photographic film from the two paths. Explain how this could cause constructive interference. (3)
- January 2024, AS Unit 2, Q11(a) (1 mark): Light from the laser is coherent. State what is meant by coherent. (1)
- October 2023, AS Unit 2, Q16(a) (3 marks): Explain why some wavelengths of the incident white light will be missing from the final reflected beam. (3)
- October 2023, AS Unit 2, Q16(b) (4 marks): White light is incident perpendicular to the surface of the coating. Calculate the wavelength that would be missing from the final reflected beam. Assume the re
- June 2023, AS Unit 2, Q6 (1 mark): Two waves, of wavelength 12 cm, leave a source in phase. The waves travel along different paths to a point X. The path difference at X is 18 cm. Which of the fo
- June 2023, AS Unit 2, Q7 (1 mark): Two waves are coherent. Which of the following must be true for the two waves? A They are in antiphase with each other. B They are in phase with each other. C T
- January 2023, AS Unit 2, Q15(a) (6 marks): Explain why the sound became quieter until there was no sound. Your explanation should refer to interference. (6)
- January 2023, AS Unit 2, Q15(b) (2 marks): Interference can be demonstrated using visible light. A student connects two filament lamps to the same power supply. A screen is placed at a distance from the
- January 2023, AS Unit 3, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): State a reason for connecting both loudspeakers to the same signal generator. (1)
- January 2023, AS Unit 3, Q2(b)(i) (3 marks): Determine an accurate value for the separation w of the maxima. (3) w =
- January 2023, AS Unit 3, Q2(b)(ii) (2 marks): The relationship between w and the wavelength λ of the sound waves is given by λD w = s where D is the perpendicular distance between the loudspeakers and the l
- January 2023, AS Unit 3, Q2(b)(iii) (2 marks): The student expected a maximum intensity at the point equidistant from the loudspeakers. Suggest why there was actually a minimum intensity at this point. (2)
- January 2023, AS Unit 3, Q2(c)(ii) (2 marks): On a humid day, the speed of sound in air increases. Explain how an increase in the speed of sound would affect the value of w for this investigation. (2)
- October 2022, AS Unit 2, Q15(a)(i) (2 marks): Show that the person hears these two sounds as the same frequency. (2)
- October 2022, AS Unit 2, Q15(a)(ii) (6 marks): When listening to these two sounds at the same time, the loudness of the sound increases and decreases repeatedly. Explain why. Your answer should refer to cohe
- June 2022, AS Unit 2, Q14(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain what is meant by coherent. (2)
- June 2022, AS Unit 2, Q14(b)(ii) (3 marks): A scientist created a model to predict the effect of two coherent S-waves at different distances from the source. The model predicted the amplitude of the S-wav
- January 2022, AS Unit 2, Q9 (1 mark): Two waves with wavelength λ are produced by the same source. The waves travel different distances and then meet. λ. At the point where they meet, the path diffe
- January 2022, AS Unit 2, Q14(b) (3 marks): Explain why a series of bright dots is seen on the screen. (3)
- October 2021, AS Unit 2, Q7 (1 mark): A microwave oven has a source that emits microwaves in all directions into the oven. The diagram shows the paths of two microwave rays that meet at point L as s
- October 2021, AS Unit 3, Q2(a) (3 marks): As d varied, the intensity of the microwaves detected by the receiver varied. Explain why. (3)
- October 2021, AS Unit 3, Q2(b)(i) (3 marks): Determine the wavelength of the microwaves being transmitted. (3) Wavelength =
- June 2021, AS Unit 2, Q10 (1 mark): Two waves leave the same source in phase. The waves travel along different paths and then meet. The wavelength of the waves is 8.0 cm. Which of the following wo
- January 2021, AS Unit 2, Q12 (4 marks): A student investigated the superposition of water waves in a ripple tank. There are two sources of waves S1 and S2, which are in phase. The diagram shows the po
- October 2020, AS Unit 2, Q2 (1 mark): λ , where λ is 2 Two waves from the same source arrive at a point with a path difference of 3 8 the wavelength. Which of the following is the phase difference o
- October 2020, AS Unit 2, Q13(a) (3 marks): On a particular flight, the noise from the engine has a frequency of 0.85 kHz. The graph shows a possible second wave. Distance / m 0.5 1.0 Determine whether th
- October 2020, AS Unit 2, Q13(b) (6 marks): For a particular passenger in an aircraft, the noise from the engine travels as a wave towards the passenger from the front. An ANR system creates a second soun
- January 2020, AS Unit 2, Q1 (1 mark): Two waves, of wavelength λ, from a single source diverge and then meet again. Which of the following situations would cause constructive interference? λ A a pat
- June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q17(a) (3 marks): Explain why the students heard a loud sound at O. (3)
- June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q17(b)(i) (5 marks): Determine the speed of sound in air. (5) Speed of sound in air =
- June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q17(b)(ii) (2 marks): The teacher suggested using a microphone connected to an oscilloscope to determine where the loud and quiet zones were located along the line XY. She said that
- June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q17(c) (2 marks): A student suggested that equally valid results would be obtained if the experiment was performed in the classroom. Criticise this suggestion. (2)
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