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Refraction of light: Eduqas A‑Level Physics questions

Every Eduqas A-Level Physics exam question on 3.3 Refraction of light, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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1,592 questions

  1. Q3(a)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    2 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 3(a): Calculate the angle labelled θ in the diagram. [2]

  2. Q3(b)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    4 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 3(b): Explain why total internal reflection occurs at A. Use calculations to support your answer. [4]

  3. Q3(c)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    4 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 3(c): The length of the optical fibre is 16.0 km. Calculate the time lag between pulses travelling along the central axis of the optical fibre and pulses travelling v

  4. Q4(a)

    June 2025 · AS Component 2

    2 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 AS Component 2, question 4(a): Calculate the refractive index of the cladding if the smallest angle, θ, at which total internal reflection can occur is 79 º. [2]

  5. Q4(b)(i)

    June 2025 · AS Component 2

    3 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 AS Component 2, question 4(b)(i): Calculate the time taken for light to travel straight along the axis of the fibre from one end to the other. [3]

  6. Q4(b)(ii)

    June 2025 · AS Component 2

    3 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 AS Component 2, question 4(b)(ii): Thomas states that the light takes a greater amount of time to travel along the zigzag path (when θ = 79 º) than along the axis. Thomas claims that this causes

  7. Q3(a)(i)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    2 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 3(a)(i): Calculate the angle of refraction. [2] 37°

  8. Q3(a)(ii)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    3 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 3(a)(ii): Complete the diagram above by showing the ray passing through the droplet and out of the other side. Label the angles with their values. [3]

  9. Q3(b)(i)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    3 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 3(b)(i): Show that refraction does not occur at A. [3]

  10. Q3(b)(ii)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    3 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 3(b)(ii): Explain how ‘multimode dispersion’ arises and outline the problem that it causes. [3]

  11. Q3(b)(iii)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    2 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 3(b)(iii): Explain how the problem of ‘multimode dispersion’ is solved in practice. [2]

  12. Q3(a)(i)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    1 mark3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 3(a)(i): Complete the table. [1]

  13. Q3(a)(ii)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    4 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 3(a)(ii): Helen produces the following graph: Angle of refraction, r / ° 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 Angle of incidence, i / ° Valentina prod

  14. Q3(b)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    3 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 3(b): Calculate the best value of the refractive index of the perspex block and explain why you chose this method. [3]

  15. Q3(i)

    June 2023 · AS Component 2

    2 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 AS Component 2, question 3(i): Complete the columns for sin i and sin r. [2]

  16. Q3(ii)

    June 2023 · AS Component 2

    4 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 AS Component 2, question 3(ii): Plot a graph of sin i (y-axis) against sin r (x-axis). [4]

  17. Q3(iii)

    June 2023 · AS Component 2

    3 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 AS Component 2, question 3(iii): Determine a value for the refractive index, n, of the material of the transparent block. [3]

  18. Q3(iv)

    June 2023 · AS Component 2

    2 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 AS Component 2, question 3(iv): Determine the critical angle for the material-air boundary. [2]

  19. Q3(v)

    June 2023 · AS Component 2

    2 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 AS Component 2, question 3(v): Calculate the speed of light in the transparent block. [2]

  20. Q3(a)

    Autumn 2021 · Component 3

    3 marks3.3 Refraction of light
    The whole paper ↗
    Autumn 2021 Component 3, question 3(a): For the optical fibre shown, calculate the angles θ and φ. [3] n3 = 1.55 n1 = 1.00 θ n2 = 1.58 φ 21.1°
All 45 questions on Refraction of light, as a list
  1. June 2025, Component 3, Q3(a) (2 marks): Calculate the angle labelled θ in the diagram. [2]
  2. June 2025, Component 3, Q3(b) (4 marks): Explain why total internal reflection occurs at A. Use calculations to support your answer. [4]
  3. June 2025, Component 3, Q3(c) (4 marks): The length of the optical fibre is 16.0 km. Calculate the time lag between pulses travelling along the central axis of the optical fibre and pulses travelling v
  4. June 2025, AS Component 2, Q4(a) (2 marks): Calculate the refractive index of the cladding if the smallest angle, θ, at which total internal reflection can occur is 79 º. [2]
  5. June 2025, AS Component 2, Q4(b)(i) (3 marks): Calculate the time taken for light to travel straight along the axis of the fibre from one end to the other. [3]
  6. June 2025, AS Component 2, Q4(b)(ii) (3 marks): Thomas states that the light takes a greater amount of time to travel along the zigzag path (when θ = 79 º) than along the axis. Thomas claims that this causes
  7. June 2024, Component 3, Q3(a)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the angle of refraction. [2] 37°
  8. June 2024, Component 3, Q3(a)(ii) (3 marks): Complete the diagram above by showing the ray passing through the droplet and out of the other side. Label the angles with their values. [3]
  9. June 2024, Component 3, Q3(b)(i) (3 marks): Show that refraction does not occur at A. [3]
  10. June 2024, Component 3, Q3(b)(ii) (3 marks): Explain how ‘multimode dispersion’ arises and outline the problem that it causes. [3]
  11. June 2024, Component 3, Q3(b)(iii) (2 marks): Explain how the problem of ‘multimode dispersion’ is solved in practice. [2]
  12. June 2023, Component 3, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Complete the table. [1]
  13. June 2023, Component 3, Q3(a)(ii) (4 marks): Helen produces the following graph: Angle of refraction, r / ° 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 Angle of incidence, i / ° Valentina prod
  14. June 2023, Component 3, Q3(b) (3 marks): Calculate the best value of the refractive index of the perspex block and explain why you chose this method. [3]
  15. June 2023, AS Component 2, Q3(i) (2 marks): Complete the columns for sin i and sin r. [2]
  16. June 2023, AS Component 2, Q3(ii) (4 marks): Plot a graph of sin i (y-axis) against sin r (x-axis). [4]
  17. June 2023, AS Component 2, Q3(iii) (3 marks): Determine a value for the refractive index, n, of the material of the transparent block. [3]
  18. June 2023, AS Component 2, Q3(iv) (2 marks): Determine the critical angle for the material-air boundary. [2]
  19. June 2023, AS Component 2, Q3(v) (2 marks): Calculate the speed of light in the transparent block. [2]
  20. Autumn 2021, Component 3, Q3(a) (3 marks): For the optical fibre shown, calculate the angles θ and φ. [3] n3 = 1.55 n1 = 1.00 θ n2 = 1.58 φ 21.1°
  21. Autumn 2021, Component 3, Q3(b) (3 marks): Hence, determine whether the ray shown will travel a long distance along the optical fibre without a rapid drop in intensity. [3]
  22. Autumn 2021, Component 3, Q3(c)(i) (4 marks): Calculate the time delay between pulses sent along both paths when the length of the optical fibre is 3.5 km. [4]
  23. Autumn 2021, Component 3, Q3(c)(ii) (2 marks): Hence, calculate the highest number of pulses per second that can be sent along the optical fibre without overlap, explaining your reasoning. [2]
  24. June 2019, AS Component 2, Q3(a) (3 marks): State what is meant by refraction and use the diagram to explain why refraction occurs. [3]
  25. June 2019, AS Component 2, Q3(b) (3 marks): By measuring appropriate lengths from the diagram calculate the speed of light in the glass. [3]
  26. June 2018, Component 3, Q2(a) (2 marks): Show that the angle θ is approximately 10°. [2]
  27. June 2018, Component 3, Q2(b) (4 marks): Deduce whether or not this light will propagate along the length of the optical fibre with total internal reflection as shown. [4]
  28. June 2018, AS Component 2, Q6(a)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the critical angle for the core-cladding boundary. [2]
  29. June 2018, AS Component 2, Q6(a)(ii) (3 marks): A beam of light enters the optical fibre from air at an angle of 15° as shown. Calculate angle A. [3]
  30. June 2018, AS Component 2, Q6(a)(iii) (2 marks): A technician states that the beam of light entering the fibre from air at an angle of 15° will not travel down the optical fibre. Evaluate whether the technicia
  31. June 2018, AS Component 2, Q6(b) (3 marks): Calculate the time taken for the light to travel along the axis of a straight optical fibre of length 15 km. [3]
  32. June 2018, AS Component 2, Q6(c)(i) (1 mark): State how the paths of light in monomode and multimode optical fibres differ. [1]
  33. June 2018, AS Component 2, Q6(c)(ii) (3 marks): Explain the advantage of monomode optical fibres over multimode optical fibres for communicating a rapid sequence of data encoded as light pulses. [3]
  34. June 2017, Component 3, Q8(a) (2 marks): Draw the refracted ray and the ray emerging from the glass block on the above diagram. [2]
  35. June 2017, Component 3, Q8(b)(i) (4 marks): / Refracted angle (r) / sin (i) sin (r) degrees ±1° degrees ±1° 0 0 0.00 ± 0.02 0.00 ± 0.02 20 13 0.34 ± 0.02 0.22 ± 0.02 40 25 0.64 ± 0.01 0.42 ± 0.02 60 34 0.
  36. June 2017, Component 3, Q8(b)(ii) (4 marks): Determine the refractive index of the block along with a value for its absolute uncertainty, quoting your results to an appropriate number of significant figure
  37. June 2017, Component 3, Q9 (6 marks): Explain the advantages of monomode optical fibres over multimode optical fibres when transmitting a rapid sequence of pulses. [6 QER]
  38. June 2017, AS Component 2, Q2(a) (2 marks): Calculate the angle of refraction, θ. [2]
  39. June 2017, AS Component 2, Q2(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the critical angle for a ray of light travelling from oil to water. [2]
  40. June 2017, AS Component 2, Q2(b)(ii) (2 marks): State and explain what happens to the ray of light in the diagram above when it reaches the boundary with the water. [2]
  41. June 2017, AS Component 2, Q2(c) (2 marks): Determine the speed of the light in the oil. [2]
  42. June 2016, AS Component 2, Q6(a) (6 marks): Explain in detail how you would carry out an experiment based on angles to determine the refractive index of glass in the form of a rectangular block. [6 QER]
  43. June 2016, AS Component 2, Q6(b)(i) (2 marks): Draw on the diagram the continuation of the beam through the prism and out into the air through the hypotenuse. [2]
  44. June 2016, AS Component 2, Q6(b)(ii) (3 marks): Calculate the angle through which the beam is deviated from its original direction. [3]
  45. June 2016, AS Component 2, Q6(b)(iii) (3 marks): The prism is placed so that light is incident upon it as shown below. Explain with the aid of a calculation how the light passes through the prism now. [3] 50°

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