IB Physics SL C.3 Wave phenomena questions

Exam-style multiple choice and written questions with full markschemes. Check multiple choice answers straight away, or type, photograph or draw a written answer and get it marked.

Question 1

Multiple choiceMedium1 mark

A plane wave crosses a straight boundary from medium 1 into medium 2. What is the ratio λ2/λ1\lambda_2/\lambda_1

medium 1medium 2αβO
Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. Each ray is perpendicular to its wavefronts, so the angles to the normal are α\alpha and β\beta Frequency is unchanged at the boundary, so λ2/λ1=v2/v1\lambda_2/\lambda_1=v_2/v_1 From Snell’s law, n1sin⁡α=n2sin⁡βn_1\sin\alpha=n_2\sin\beta and n=c/vn=c/v giving v2/v1=n1/n2=sin⁡β/sin⁡αv_2/v_1=n_1/n_2=\sin\beta/\sin\alpha
A: reverses the incident-to-transmitted ratio.
B: uses the angle ratio instead of the sine ratio.
C: treats the marked angles as angles between rays and the boundary, rather than between wavefronts and the boundary.
Remember: the angle between a wavefront and the boundary equals the angle between its ray and the normal.

The best questions are still waiting

Unlock every question in this topic, then type, photograph or draw your answer and have it marked against the markscheme. Find out where you are dropping marks.