PHYSICS PAPER 2 GCSE AQA UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
Question 1.
Sound waves
ANSWER
Caused by vibrating objects. Travel through surrounding medium as compressions and
rarefactions. Longitudinal wave. It travels through solids by causing their particles to to
vibrate.
Question 2.
How do humans hear sounds?
ANSWER
Sound waves cause the ear dum to vibrate. These vibrations are passed onto ossicles. The
cochlea turns vibrations into electrical signals.
Question 3.
What happens when ultrasound waves meet a boundary between two different media?
ANSWER
They are partially reflected.
Question 4.
Partially reflected ultrasound waves
ANSWER
Some of the wave is reflected off the boundary between the two media, and some is
transmitted.
Question 5.
How can ultrasound waves determine how far away a boundary is?
ANSWER
, By the time taken for the reflected wave to reach a detector and the speed of sound in the
material.
Question 6.
What can ultrasound waves be used for?
ANSWER
Medical and industrial imaging
Question 7.
Seismic waves?
ANSWER
Waves produced by earthquakes. When they reach a boundary some waves are absorbed
and some are reflected.
Question 8.
Types of seismic waves?
ANSWER
P-waves and S-waves
Question 9.
What are P-waves?
ANSWER
Longitudinal, seismic waves. Travel through solids and liquids.
Question 10.
What are S-waves?
ANSWER
Transverse, seismic waves. Travel through solids only.
Question 11.
,What do P-waves and S-waves provide evidence for?
ANSWER
The structure and size of the Earth's core.
Question 12.
What are electromagnetic waves?
ANSWER
Transverse waves that transfer energy from the source of the waves to an absorber.
Question 13.
What are the groups of waves in the electromagnetic spectrum?
ANSWER
Radiowave Microwave Infrared Visible light Ultraviolet X-rays Gamma rays
Question 14.
What happens to the wavelength and frequency of a wave when it is refracted?
ANSWER
The wavelength changes, but the frequency stays the same
Question 15.
Uses of microwaves
ANSWER
Satellite communications, cooking food
Question 16.
What happens when objects absorb IR radiation?
ANSWER
They get hotter, causing their temperature to increase.
, Question 17.
Uses of infrared?
ANSWER
Electrical heaters, cooking food, infrared cameras
Question 18.
Use of visible light?
ANSWER
Fibre optic communications
Question 19.
Uses of x-rays and gamma rays?
ANSWER
Medical imaging. Radiotherapy. Medical tracers
Question 20.
How do x-rays work?
ANSWER
X-rays are pass easily through tissue and are absorbed by denser materials such as bone and
metal. The amount of radiation absorbed gives an X-Ray image
Question 21.
Radiotherapy
ANSWER
High doses of x-rays and gamma rays are carefully directed towards cancer cells.
Question 22.
What happens when waves reach a boundary?
ANSWER
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
Question 1.
Sound waves
ANSWER
Caused by vibrating objects. Travel through surrounding medium as compressions and
rarefactions. Longitudinal wave. It travels through solids by causing their particles to to
vibrate.
Question 2.
How do humans hear sounds?
ANSWER
Sound waves cause the ear dum to vibrate. These vibrations are passed onto ossicles. The
cochlea turns vibrations into electrical signals.
Question 3.
What happens when ultrasound waves meet a boundary between two different media?
ANSWER
They are partially reflected.
Question 4.
Partially reflected ultrasound waves
ANSWER
Some of the wave is reflected off the boundary between the two media, and some is
transmitted.
Question 5.
How can ultrasound waves determine how far away a boundary is?
ANSWER
, By the time taken for the reflected wave to reach a detector and the speed of sound in the
material.
Question 6.
What can ultrasound waves be used for?
ANSWER
Medical and industrial imaging
Question 7.
Seismic waves?
ANSWER
Waves produced by earthquakes. When they reach a boundary some waves are absorbed
and some are reflected.
Question 8.
Types of seismic waves?
ANSWER
P-waves and S-waves
Question 9.
What are P-waves?
ANSWER
Longitudinal, seismic waves. Travel through solids and liquids.
Question 10.
What are S-waves?
ANSWER
Transverse, seismic waves. Travel through solids only.
Question 11.
,What do P-waves and S-waves provide evidence for?
ANSWER
The structure and size of the Earth's core.
Question 12.
What are electromagnetic waves?
ANSWER
Transverse waves that transfer energy from the source of the waves to an absorber.
Question 13.
What are the groups of waves in the electromagnetic spectrum?
ANSWER
Radiowave Microwave Infrared Visible light Ultraviolet X-rays Gamma rays
Question 14.
What happens to the wavelength and frequency of a wave when it is refracted?
ANSWER
The wavelength changes, but the frequency stays the same
Question 15.
Uses of microwaves
ANSWER
Satellite communications, cooking food
Question 16.
What happens when objects absorb IR radiation?
ANSWER
They get hotter, causing their temperature to increase.
, Question 17.
Uses of infrared?
ANSWER
Electrical heaters, cooking food, infrared cameras
Question 18.
Use of visible light?
ANSWER
Fibre optic communications
Question 19.
Uses of x-rays and gamma rays?
ANSWER
Medical imaging. Radiotherapy. Medical tracers
Question 20.
How do x-rays work?
ANSWER
X-rays are pass easily through tissue and are absorbed by denser materials such as bone and
metal. The amount of radiation absorbed gives an X-Ray image
Question 21.
Radiotherapy
ANSWER
High doses of x-rays and gamma rays are carefully directed towards cancer cells.
Question 22.
What happens when waves reach a boundary?
ANSWER
