(a) State two factors which affect the angle of deviation of a ray of light through a triangular glass prism. (b) Seven virtual images of an object are form...

Assessment: WAEC SSCE - Physics - 2010 (Essay) Subject: Physics

Question 1 Report

(a) State two factors which affect the angle of deviation of a ray of light through a triangular glass prism.

(b) Seven virtual images of an object are formed when two plane mirrors are inclined at an angle 0 to each other. Calculate the value of 0.

(c) By means of a ripple tank, a student was able to generate series of transverse waves by varying the frequency of the dipper and all the waves so generated covered a distance of 0.80 m in 0.2s.

(i) Determine the speed, v, of the waves.


Copy and complete the table given in your answer booklet.

(iii) Plot a graph with f on the vertical axis and \(\lambda ^{-1}\) on the horizontal axis.
(iv) What does the slope of the graph represent?

Answer Details

(a) Two factors which affect the angle of deviation of a ray through a triangular glass prism:

  • The angle of incidence of the ray on the first refracting face.
  • The refracting (apex) angle of the prism together with the refractive index of the glass (which itself depends on the colour/wavelength of the light).

(b) Angle between the two plane mirrors.

The number of images formed by two plane mirrors inclined at an angle \(\theta\) is

\[N=\frac{360^\circ}{\theta}-1.\]

With \(N=7\):

\[7=\frac{360^\circ}{\theta}-1 \;\Rightarrow\; \frac{360^\circ}{\theta}=8 \;\Rightarrow\; \theta=\frac{360^\circ}{8}=45^\circ.\]

(c)(i) Speed of the waves.

\[v=\frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}}=\frac{0.80\ \text{m}}{0.2\ \text{s}}=4.0\ \text{m s}^{-1}.\]

(ii) Completed table. Using \(\lambda=\dfrac{v}{f}=\dfrac{4.0}{f}\) and \(\lambda^{-1}=\dfrac{1}{\lambda}\):

\(f\) /Hz\(\lambda\) /m\(\lambda^{-1}\) /m\(^{-1}\)
2.02.000.50
4.01.001.00
6.00.671.50
8.00.502.00
10.00.402.50

(iii) Graph of \(f\) (vertical axis) against \(\lambda^{-1}\) (horizontal axis).

graph
Straight line through the origin; gradient = 4.0 m s⁻¹, the speed of the waves.

The points \((0.50,2.0),(1.00,4.0),(1.50,6.0),(2.00,8.0),(2.50,10.0)\) lie on a straight line passing through the origin, since \(f=v\,(\lambda^{-1})\).

(iv) Meaning of the slope.

Reading two points on the line of best fit, e.g. \((2.50,10.0)\) and \((0.50,2.0)\):

\[\text{slope}=\frac{f}{\lambda^{-1}}=\frac{10.0-2.0}{2.50-0.50}=\frac{8.0}{2.0}=4.0.\]

Since \(f=v\times\lambda^{-1}\), the slope \(=f\lambda=v=4.0\ \text{m s}^{-1}\). The slope of the graph represents the speed (velocity) of the waves.

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