Refraction · CSEC Physics

56 past-paper questions on Refraction, part of Waves and Optics, from every CSEC Physics paper on Quelpr.

1. 5(b)(i)2 marks· CSEC Physics · 1988 · Paper 2Calculate the wavelength in shallow water.
2. 5(b)(ii)3 marks· CSEC Physics · 1988 · Paper 2Complete the diagram to show the refracted wave fronts with their correct separation.
3. 5(b)(iii)3 marks· CSEC Physics · 1988 · Paper 2Calculate the value of ϕ, the angle of refraction of the waves.
4. 5(b)(iv)3 marks· CSEC Physics · 1988 · Paper 2Calculate the velocity of the wave fronts in shallow water if the velocity in deep water is 4 cm s⁻¹.
5. 2(a)(i)4 marks· CSEC Physics · 1989 · Paper 2Find the refractive index of the glass for these waves. Clearly show on the diagram (Figure 2) all measurements made.
6. 2(a)(ii)1 mark· CSEC Physics · 1989 · Paper 2What is the value of the angle of incidence for these wavefronts?
7. 2(b)(i)3 marks· CSEC Physics · 1989 · Paper 2Calculate the refractive index of water.
8. 2(b)(ii)5 marks· CSEC Physics · 1989 · Paper 2Draw a wavefront diagram to represent this refraction at an air-water boundary. (Your diagram need not be to scale.) Mark on the diagram the size of the angle between the incident wavefronts and the boundary, and also…
9. 2(c)(i)2 marks· CSEC Physics · 1989 · Paper 2Name the TWO parts of the eye where refraction takes place.
10. 2(c)(ii)1 mark· CSEC Physics · 1989 · Paper 2Explain why the amount of refraction at one of the two parts is much greater than that at the other.
11. 1(c)(ii)5 marks· CSEC Physics · 1990 · Paper 2Calculate the wavelength of the waves in the second medium and the angle of refraction.
12. 3(c)(iii)4 marks· CSEC Physics · 2021 · Paper 2Determine the angle of refraction at the face MN, given that the refractive index of ice is 1.31.
13. 1(a)4 marks· Physics Q1 1(a)Complete the table above.
14. 1(a)4 marks· Physics Q1 1(a)Complete Table 1 by calculating the values for sin î and sin f.
15. 1(b)1 mark· Physics Q1 1(b)State the name of the physical property represented by the gradient in (a)(iii).
16. 1(d)4 marks· Physics Q1 1(d)State the TWO laws of refraction.
17. 1(d)1 mark· Physics Q1 1(d)What does the slope, n, of the graph represent?
18. 1(e)6 marks· Physics Q1 1(e)Draw a labelled diagram identifying the apparatus used and angles measured by the student to obtain the results.
19. 1(e)3 marks· Physics Q1 1(e)Calculate the angle of refraction if the angle of incidence is 90° for this new material.
20. 1(f)3 marks· Physics Q1 1(f)The anti-reflective coating works best if its refractive index is the square root of the refractive index of the lens in the eye glasses. Determine the refractive index of the lens that gives the best result.
21. 1(f)5 marks· Physics Q1 1(f)A ray of light is incident at an angle of 35°. With the aid of dotted lines use your graph to calculate the angle of refraction produced.
22. 2(c)4 marks· Physics Q2 2(c)As the microwaves enter water at an angle of incidence of 45°, their speed is reduced to 2.0 x 10⁸ m s⁻¹. Calculate the wavelength of the microwaves in water.
23. 2(c)(ii)5 marks· Physics Q2 2(c)(ii)A ray of red light emerges from a glass block as shown in Figure 1. If the block has a refractive index of 1.5, determine the value of the angle e.
24. 3(a)6 marks· Physics Q3 3(a)Identify the labelled parts of Figure 1.
25. 3(a)(i)3 marks· Physics Q3 3(a)(i)State Snell's Law.
26. 3(a)(ii)1 mark· Physics Q3 3(a)(ii)What is the name given to the bending of Ray B as it approaches the hot surface?
27. 3(a)(iii)2 marks· Physics Q3 3(a)(iii)With reference to the normal, the temperature and the density of the air, explain the direction of the bending of Ray B at Point x.
28. 3(b)(i)1 mark· Physics Q3 3(b)(i)Determine the value of angle b (b̂) when a = 60°.
29. 3(b)(ii)1 mark· Physics Q3 3(b)(ii)State a reason for your answer in (b)(i).
30. 3(b)(iii)4 marks· Physics Q3 3(b)(iii)Calculate the value of angle d, (d̂).
31. 3(d)(iii)3 marks· Physics Q3 3(d)(iii)Calculate the refractive index of water.
32. 4(a)6 marks· Physics Q4 4(a)State the laws of refraction.
33. 4(a)(i)2 marks· Physics Q4 4(a)(i)State TWO examples of observations which provide evidence that light can be refracted.
34. 4(a)(ii)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(a)(ii)Complete Figure 3 by adding the normal at the point of incidence, the refracted ray, and indicating the angles of incidence and refraction.
35. 4(a)(iii)2 marks· Physics Q4 4(a)(iii)As the light ray travels from air to water, determine if the speed of the light ray will increase or decrease. Give a reason for your response.
36. 4(b)(i)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(i)If the angle of refraction for the violet light, θᵣ, is 20°, what is the refractive index of this prism for violet light?
37. 4(b)(i)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(i)Calculate angle c, given that angle ABD is 42°.
38. 4(b)(i)9 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(i)Calculate the angle of refraction at the AD boundary.
39. 4(b)(i)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(i)Calculate the refractive index of the water which causes this apparent bending if angle a = 32° and angle b = 45°.
40. 4(b)(i)1 mark· Physics Q4 4(b)(i)What is the name of the effect that is created?
41. 4(b)(ii)9 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(ii)What is the value of the angle of emergence at the BC boundary?
42. 4(b)(ii)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(ii)Calculate the speed of the violet light in the prism.
43. 4(b)(ii)4 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(ii)If the pencil is now placed in ethanol with a refractive index of 1.36, calculate the new angle b given that angle a in the ethanol remains at 32°.
44. 4(b)(ii)2 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(ii)On Figure 4 above, trace the path of the white light into and out of the prism indicating the red ray and the violet ray.
45. 4(b)(iii)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(iii)If Bruce is at the same depth as Nemo, how far away is Bruce's eye from Nemo's eye. Explain your result.
46. 4(b)(iii)2 marks· Physics Q4 4(b)(iii)Does the pencil bend more or less in ethanol than in water? Justify your answer.
47. 4(c)(i)4 marks· Physics Q4 4(c)(i)If the refractive index of the material is 1.3, calculate the angle of refraction in the material given that the angle of incidence is 30°.
48. 4(c)(i)2 marks· Physics Q4 4(c)(i)Complete Table 2 by inserting the missing values.
49. 4(c)(ii)1 mark· Physics Q4 4(c)(ii)If the refractive index of the material increased, why would the lateral displacement of the ray increase also?
50. 4(c)(ii)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(c)(ii)Determine the angle of refraction if an incident angle of 70° was recorded for this experiment. (Use the refractive index of glass as 1.52.)
51. 4(c)(iv)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(c)(iv)Calculate the angle of incidence of the light entering the fibre.
52. 4(c)(v)3 marks· Physics Q4 4(c)(v)Given that the speed of light in air is 3 x 10⁸ m s⁻¹, determine the speed of light in the core of the fibre.
53. 4(d)(i)5 marks· Physics Q4 4(d)(i)Calculate the angle of refraction produced on the PS boundary. [Refractive Index of glass = 1.5]
54. 4(d)(ii)5 marks· Physics Q4 4(d)(ii)Name the angle of refraction produced on the QR boundary.
55. 5(a)6 marks· Physics Q5 5(a)Describe an experiment to verify Snell's law. State the apparatus used, your method, and the results you would take to arrive at your conclusion.
56. 5(b)(i)9 marks· Physics Q5 5(b)(i)Calculate the angle of refraction at the boundary, PR.