Lesson 5.5.1

5.5.1 Plane polarisation and Huygens' construction Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 5.5.1, Plane polarisation and Huygens' construction: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 5: Waves and Particle Nature of Light, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In a plane-polarised wave, in how many planes do the oscillations occur?

    • All planes
    • Two planes
    • One plane
    • No planes

  2. Which wave oscillations pass through a polarising filter?

    • Perpendicular to axis
    • Parallel to axis
    • In all directions
    • Unpolarised waves only

  3. Which phenomenon provides evidence that light is a transverse wave?

    • Dispersion
    • Polarisation
    • Diffraction
    • Refraction

  4. According to Huygens' principle, what does every point on a wavefront act as?

    • Absorbing centre
    • Reflecting surface
    • Secondary wavelet source
    • Refractive boundary

  5. According to Huygens' construction, how is a new wavefront determined?

    • Sum of frequencies
    • Centre of wavelets
    • Envelope of wavelets
    • Product of amplitudes

  6. When is diffraction most significant for a wave passing through a gap?

    • Gap much smaller
    • Gap much larger
    • Gap equals wavelength
    • Gap is zero

  7. What proportion of light passes through two polarisers with perpendicular transmission axes?

    • Twenty-five percent
    • Fifty percent
    • Zero
    • One hundred percent

  8. What fraction of plane-polarised light passes through a polariser aligned with its polarisation plane?

    • Fifty percent
    • Zero percent
    • One hundred percent
    • Twenty-five percent

  9. What ratio of slit width to wavelength gives the most noticeable diffraction?

    • Equal to 1000
    • Equal to 10000
    • Equal to 100
    • Equal to 1

  10. Rotating a polarising filter changes sky brightness. What does this show about skylight?

    • Longitudinal wave
    • Partially plane-polarised
    • Fully unpolarised
    • Monochromatic light

  11. What shape do wavefronts take after passing through a slit comparable to wavelength?

    • Rectangular
    • Triangular
    • Circular
    • Planar

  12. For a slit of width 2.0 micrometres and light of wavelength 500 nm, what is the ratio of slit width to wavelength?

    • 4.0
    • 2.5 x 10^-4
    • 4.0 x 10^3
    • 0.25

  13. Light of wavelength 400 nm passes through a 0.40 μm slit. How strong is diffraction?

    • Slight refraction
    • Negligible
    • Zero
    • Very strong

  14. A plane wavefront moves at speed v through a medium. How far does it advance in a time t, according to Huygens' construction?

    • t/v
    • v t
    • v/t
    • v t^2

  15. A wavefront in a medium moves at 300 m/s. What is the radius of the secondary wavelet emitted from a point on it after 0.010 s?

    • 0.030 m
    • 30 m
    • 3.0 m
    • 0.30 m

  16. Which category of wave is capable of undergoing plane polarisation?

    • Longitudinal waves
    • Transverse waves
    • Torsional waves
    • Sound waves

  17. What happens to light transmitted when a middle polariser at 45 degrees is added between crossed polarisers?

    • Intensity doubles
    • Light is transmitted
    • Light is blocked
    • Light turns red

  18. What degree of diffraction occurs when sound wavelength is larger than doorway width?

    • Complete reflection
    • Negligible diffraction
    • Significant diffraction
    • Zero diffraction

  19. Which wave property remains constant when a light wave crosses a boundary into another medium?

    • Wavelength
    • Amplitude
    • Speed
    • Frequency

  20. Which wave phenomenon uniquely demonstrates that light is a transverse wave?

    • Interference
    • Refraction
    • Polarisation
    • Diffraction

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