Exam questions

Question 6
A student has two tubes. She puts a ticking watch at the end of tube 1. She points tube 1 towards a hard, flat surface. Then she puts a finger in one ear. She holds the second tube to her other ear and points this tube at the hard, flat surface. The diagram shows five positions, A, B, C, D and E, for the second tube. IGCSE Physics Exam questions Question 6 (1 mark) (2 marks) (b) Complete the sentences. When sound waves arrive at the hard, flat surface they are ____________. The angle of ____________ equals the angle of ____________. (c) Suggest and explain one reason why the student puts a finger in one ear. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Total (2 marks) (7 marks) (1 mark) (1 mark)
1

(a) (i) In which position do the ticks sound loudest? Position ____________. (ii) Explain your answer by adding lines to the diagram to show the direction of the sound waves.

Exam question Edexcel International: London Examinations IGCSE Physics Higher Tier Paper 2H, November 2006

Answers
Mark scheme (a) (i) (ii) E Your line should be drawn from the watch through tube 1, reflect from the surface and then go through tube E. Your lines should include arrows to show that the sound is travelling from the watch to the surface, and then through tube E. (b) Reflected. Incidence, reflection (you can have the words in either order). 1 mark 1 mark

IGCSE Physics Exam questions Question 6

1 mark

1 mark 1 mark (you need both words for the mark) 1 mark 1 mark

(c)

To block out other sounds; which could distract/confuse her. OR To block the sound coming directly from the watch; which would be louder than the sound coming through the tube.

1 mark 1mark

Examiner feedback
(a) (i) The key to getting this right is to remember that sound waves reflect from surfaces just like light waves, with the angle of incidence equal to the angle of reflection. Not many students answered this part of the question well. Many drew lines from the surface through more than one tube, or forgot to put arrows on their lines to show the direction in which the sound was travelling. If you are asked to draw lines to show the path of a wave, whether it is light or sound, remember to include arrows to show the direction in which it is moving. In this question, one of the 2 marks for part (ii) was for drawing the arrows correctly. A lot of students lost marks on this one, too. You will probably have done more experiments with light than with sound, but remember that experiments with light rays are usually done in a darkened room to make it easier to see the light rays you are interested in. Putting a finger in one ear is similar to this it lets you concentrate on the sound you are experimenting with.

(ii)

(c)

Exam question Edexcel International: London Examinations IGCSE Physics Higher Tier Paper 2H, November 2006