Polarisation
7.5What the syllabus asks of you
- understand that polarisation is a phenomenon associated with transverse waves
- recall and use Malus’s law (I = I0 cos²θ ) to calculate the intensity of a plane-polarised electromagnetic wave after transmission through a polarising filter or a series of polarising filters (calculation of the effect of a polarising filter on the intensity of an unpolarised wave is not required)
Read the notes first
Chapter 7: Polarisation
Drill this topic
Every question on Polarisation, untimed, marked as you go.
Make a worksheet
Choose the years and how many questions, then print it with the answers on separate pages.
27 questions
1May / June 2026 · Paper 11 · Q23Show mark scheme →
A28°
B39°
C52°
D62°
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2May / June 2026 · Paper 13 · Q25Show mark scheme →
A3
B5
C6
D10
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3May / June 2026 · Paper 14 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Agraph A
Bgraph B
Cgraph C
Dgraph D
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4Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 11 · Q26Show mark scheme →
Azero
B2.5 W m⁻²
C2.9 W m⁻²
D6.0 W m⁻²
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5Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 13 · Q26Show mark scheme →
Azero
B2.5 W m⁻²
C2.9 W m⁻²
D6.0 W m⁻²
Mark scheme
6Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 14 · Q28Show mark scheme →
Adiffraction
Binterference
Cpolarisation
Dreflection
Mark scheme
7May / June 2025 · Paper 11 · Q28Show mark scheme →
Ainfrared waves, radio waves, sound waves
Bvisible light waves, microwaves, radio waves
Cvisible light waves, radio waves, sound waves
Dmicrowaves, visible light waves, sound waves
Mark scheme
8May / June 2025 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
A8.4°
B55°
C71°
D84°
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9May / June 2025 · Paper 12 · Q28Show mark scheme →
AOnly longitudinal waves can be diffracted.
BOnly longitudinal waves can travel in free space.
COnly transverse waves can be coherent.
DOnly transverse waves can be polarised.
Mark scheme
10May / June 2025 · Paper 13 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Adiffraction
Binterference
Cpolarisation
Dreflection
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11May / June 2025 · Paper 14 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A18 W m⁻²
B21 W m⁻²
C28 W m⁻²
D32 W m⁻²
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12Feb / March 2025 · Paper 12 · Q26Show mark scheme →
A30°
B42°
C49°
D60°
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13Oct / Nov 2024 · Paper 11 · Q29Show mark scheme →
ARadio waves are generally of a higher frequency than sound waves.
BRadio waves are transverse waves, but sound waves are longitudinal waves.
CRadio waves can travel through a vacuum, but sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum.
DRadio waves travel at a much higher speed than sound waves.
Mark scheme
14Oct / Nov 2024 · Paper 12 · Q23Show mark scheme →
A0.17A
B0.41A
C0.64A
D0.80A
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15May / June 2024 · Paper 11 · Q24Show mark scheme →
AA\cos\theta
BA\cos^2\theta
CA^2\cos\theta
DA^2\cos^2\theta
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16May / June 2024 · Paper 11 · Q29Show mark scheme →
Aa diffracted wave
Ba polarised wave
Ca reflected wave
Da stationary wave
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17May / June 2024 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Aradio waves from a transmitter
Bsound waves from a moving source
Cultraviolet rays from the Sun
DX-rays from an X-ray emitter
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18May / June 2024 · Paper 13 · Q26Show mark scheme →
A37.5°
B39.0°
C51.0°
D52.5°
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19Feb / March 2024 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
Aradio waves
Bsound waves
Cultraviolet waves
DX-rays
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20Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 11 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A0.30 cm
B0.89 cm
C2.3 cm
D2.4 cm
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21Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A0
BI₀/8
CI₀/4
DI₀/2
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22Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 13 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A0
B0.063 I0
C0.19 I0
D0.56 I0
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23May / June 2023 · Paper 11 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A0.41
B0.59
C0.64
D0.77
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24May / June 2023 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A0
B\frac{1}{4} I_0
C\frac{1}{2} I_0
DI_0
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25May / June 2023 · Paper 13 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A90°: brightest, 180°: brightest
B90°: brightest, 180°: darkest
C90°: darkest, 180°: brightest
D90°: darkest, 180°: darkest
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26Feb / March 2023 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A0.25 I30
B0.33 I30
C0.75 I30
D0.87 I30
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27May / June 2022 · Paper 12 · Q26Show mark scheme →
Azero
B2.5 W m–2
C2.9 W m–2
D6.0 W m–2
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