Practise 59 real questions on Superposition from 2021 to 2026. See the answer and explanation as soon as you answer.
Superposition is one of the 13 main topics in our A Level Physics (Cambridge (CAIE) 9702) question bank, and about 9% of its real questions come from it. Tayyari Karo has 59 real questions on this topic from 2021 to 2026, from Paper 1, Paper 2; 49 are multiple choice and marked instantly, and the rest are structured questions with a model answer. By difficulty: 39 medium, 14 hard, 6 easy.
Work through the questions below, then open the explanation for each one. Redo the ones you missed a few days later.
These are real past-paper questions. Think of your answer first, then open the explanation.
What is a condition for two sources of waves to produce an interference pattern?
Answer: B. The waves must be emitted with a constant phase difference.
The sources must be coherent, i.e. have a constant phase difference.
Green laser light of wavelength 550 nm passes through a diffraction grating with 400 lines per mm. What is the highest order diffraction maximum produced by the grating?
Answer: A. 4
d = 1/400 mm = 2.5×10⁻⁶ m; n_max = d/λ = 2.5×10⁻⁶/550×10⁻⁹ ≈ 4.5, so the highest integer order is 4.
A vertically polarised beam of light is incident normally on a polarising filter. The transmission axis of the filter is at an angle of 40° to the horizontal. What is the ratio (amplitude of transmitted beam)/(amplitude of incident beam)?
Answer: C. 0.64
The angle between the vertical polarisation direction and the transmission axis (40° from horizontal) is 90°−40° = 50°; amplitude ratio = cos50° ≈ 0.64.
In an experiment, a stationary wave is formed on a string stretched horizontally between two fixed points.
Which statement about the experiment is correct?
Answer: A. At certain times, the string between two nodes is horizontal with all points having zero displacement.
Twice per cycle, all points on the string pass simultaneously through zero displacement, so the whole string is momentarily flat (horizontal).
Water waves of wavelength λ are incident normally on an obstacle with a narrow gap of width equal to λ. The waves diffract through an angle θ. The gap is slowly widened. Which changes, if any, occur to θ and to the wavelength of the emerging waves?
Answer: A. θ decreases, wavelength remains the same
Widening the gap (increasing gap width relative to λ) reduces the amount of diffraction, so the spreading angle θ decreases; wavelength is unaffected by diffraction and remains the same.
A stationary wave is formed from two identical sound waves. A microphone placed at a position of maximum loudness is moved along the stationary wave from the first position of maximum loudness to the fourth position of maximum loudness, a distance of 12 cm. The speed of sound is 330 m s⁻¹. What is the frequency of the sound waves?
Answer: A. 4100 Hz
Consecutive positions of maximum loudness are half a wavelength apart, so 3 intervals = 3 × λ/2 = 12 cm, giving λ = 8.0 cm = 0.080 m. f = v/λ = 330/0.080 ≈ 4100 Hz.
| Session | Paper 1 | Paper 2 |
|---|---|---|
| May/June 2026 | 4 | 1 |
| May/June 2025 | 3 | 1 |
| October/November 2025 | 3 | 1 |
| May/June 2024 | 2 | 1 |
| October/November 2024 | 4 | 1 |
| May/June 2023 | 7 | 1 |
| October/November 2023 | 7 | 1 |
| May/June 2022 | 5 | 1 |
| October/November 2022 | 5 | 1 |
| May/June 2021 | 5 | 1 |
| October/November 2021 | 4 | – |
59 real A Level Physics (9702) questions on Superposition from 2021 to 2026, from Paper 1, Paper 2. Each one shows the year, session and paper it came from.
Yes. Every question shows the correct answer and a short explanation the moment you answer.
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