A LEVEL

PHYSICS
WORKED SOLUTIONS
3.2. Refraction, Diffraction and
Interference MCQ

Worked Solutions by Lewis Matheson from

ALevelPhysicsOnline.com in collaboration Physics Online
with PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

A ray of light is incident on the internal boundary of a rectangular glass block in air.
1.
Part of the light refracts out of the block at an angle of 30°.

Some of the remaining light reflects within the block to become incident on the right-hand
boundary. refractive index of glass = 1.48

What is the angle of incidence of the ray at the right-hand boundary?

A 20°

B 42°

C 48°

D 70°

(Total 1 mark)

In a Young’s double-slit experiment, monochromatic light is incident on two narrow slits and the
2. resulting interference pattern is observed on a screen.

Which change decreases the fringe separation?

A decreasing the separation between the two slits

B increasing the distance between the slits and the screen

C using monochromatic light of higher frequency

D using monochromatic light of longer wavelength

(Total 1 mark)

Page 1 of 9
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
A diffraction grating is illuminated normally.
3.
The second-order maximum for light of wavelength 650 nm occurs at the same angle as the
third-order maximum for light of wavelength λ.

What is λ?

A 217 nm

B 325 nm

C 433 nm

D 975 nm

(Total 1 mark)

Light of wavelength λ is incident normally on two parallel slits of separation s. Fringes of spacing
4.
w are seen on a screen at a distance D from the slits.

Which row gives another arrangement that produces a fringe spacing of w?

Distance between
Wavelength Slit separation
slits and screen

A 2λ 2s 2D

B 2λ 4s 2D

C 2λ 2s 4D

D 4λ 2s 2D

(Total 1 mark)

A narrow beam of monochromatic light is incident normally to a diffraction grating. The first-order
5. diffracted beam makes an angle of 20° with the normal to the grating.

What is the highest order visible with this grating at this wavelength?

A 2

B 3

C 4

D 5

(Total 1 mark)
Page 2 of 9
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
The speed of light decreases by 40% when it travels from air into a transparent medium.
6.
What is the refractive index of the medium?

A 0.6

B 1.4

C 1.7

D 2.5

(Total 1 mark)

A monochromatic light wave travels from glass into air.

7.
Which row shows what happens to the wavelength, speed and photon energy?

Wavelength Speed Photon energy

A increases increases increases

B does not change decreases does not change

C does not change decreases increases

D increases increases does not change

(Total 1 mark)

Monochromatic light is incident normally on a diffraction grating that has 4.50 × 105 lines m−1.
8.
The angle between the second-order diffraction maxima is 44°.

What is the wavelength of the light?

A 208 nm

B 416 nm

C 772 nm

D 832 nm

(Total 1 mark)

Page 3 of 9
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
In a Young’s double-slit experiment, the spacing of the double slits is s and the distance between
9.
the slits and the screen on which fringes are formed is D. When monochromatic light of
wavelength λ is incident on the slits the distance between adjacent fringes on the screen is w.

Which row shows another arrangement that produces a fringe spacing of w?

Spacing of Distance between the slits and Wavelength

double slits the screen of the light

A 4s 2D 2λ

B 2s 4D 2λ

C 2s 2D 4λ

D 2s 2D 2λ

(Total 1 mark)

Monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of wavelength 5.8 × 10–7 m is incident normally on a

10.
diffraction grating with 3.0 × 105 lines per metre.

What is the highest order maximum produced?

A 5

B 6

C 10

D 13

(Total 1 mark)

Which characteristics of monochromatic light change when the light passes from air into glass?
11.
A Speed, wavelength and frequency.

B Speed and frequency only.

C Speed and wavelength only.

D Wavelength and frequency only.

(Total 1 mark)

Page 4 of 9
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
Which is a description of the pattern produced when monochromatic light passes through a very
12. narrow slit?

A A series of equally-spaced light and dark fringes.

B A narrow central maximum with wider side fringes.

C A few bright fringes that are widely spaced.

D A wide central maximum with narrower side fringes.

(Total 1 mark)

A ray of light is incident on a glass–air boundary of a rectangular block as shown.

13.

The refractive index of this glass is 1.5

The refractive index of air is 1.0
The angle of incidence of the light at the first glass–air boundary is 44°

What is the path of the ray of light?

(Total 1 mark)

Page 5 of 9
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

Rays of light are incident at the same angle θ on the core–cladding boundary of optical fibres P
14.
and Q.
The cores of P and Q have the same refractive index n.
P and Q are the same length L.
The core diameter of P is half that of Q.

The time for the ray to travel along optical fibre P is

where c is the speed of light in a vacuum.

What is the time for the ray to travel along optical fibre Q?

(Total 1 mark)

Page 6 of 9
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

A diffraction grating is illuminated normally with light of wavelength 6.5 × 10–7 m

15.
When a screen is 1.5 m from the grating, the distance between the zero and first-order maxima
on the screen is 0.30 m

What is the number of lines per mm of the diffraction grating?

A 3.3 × 10–6

B 3.3 × 10–3

C 3.0 × 102

D 3.0 × 105

(Total 1 mark)

In the diagram, P is the source of a wave of frequency 50 Hz

16.

The wave travels to R by two routes, P → Q → R and P → R. The speed of the wave is 30 m s−1

Page 7 of 9
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

What is the path difference between the two waves at R in terms of the wavelength λ of the
waves?

A 4.8λ

B 8.0λ

C 13.3λ

D 20.0λ

(Total 1 mark)

An electromagnetic wave enters a fibre-optic cable from air. On entering the cable, the wave
17. slows down to three-fifths of its original speed.

What is the refractive index of the core of the fibre-optic cable?

A 0.67

B 1.33

C 1.50

D 1.67

(Total 1 mark)

A diffraction grating has 500 lines per mm. When monochromatic light is incident normally on the
18. grating the third-order spectral line is formed at an angle of 60° from the normal to the grating.

What is the wavelength of the monochromatic light?

A 220 nm

B 580 nm

C 960 nm

D 1700 nm

(Total 1 mark)

Page 8 of 9
Refraction, Diffraction and Interference MCQ PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
The diagram shows a ray of light travelling in air and incident on a glass block of refractive index
19. 1.5

What is the angle of refraction in the glass?

A 22.5°

B 23.3°

C 33.1°

D 59.4°

(Total 1 mark)

When light of wavelength 5.0 × 10–7 m is incident normally on a diffraction grating the
20.
fourth-order maximum is observed at an angle of 30°.

What is the number of lines per mm on the diffraction grating?

A 2.5 × 102

B 2.5 × 105

C 1.0 × 103

D 1.0 × 106

(Total 1 mark)

Page 9 of 9