Practise Visible light. 12 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
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Name the type of reflection that happens at the surface of the lake on the still day.
Specular reflection
Explain why a piece of coal looks black.
It absorbs almost all the light and reflects hardly any.
Light of several different colours falls on an opaque object. The object reflects some wavelengths of the light. State what happens to the wavelengths of light that the object does not reflect.
They are absorbed.
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy4 marks
Opaque objects look different colours in white light.
(a) Why does a red apple look red in white light? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
It absorbs red light and reflects all other colours.
It reflects red light and absorbs all other colours.
It emits red light.
It transmits red light only.
(b) Explain why a sheet of paper looks white in white light.[1]
(c) Explain why a piece of black card looks black.[1]
(d) What name is given to the reflection of light from a smooth surface in a single direction? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
Diffuse reflection
Refraction
Specular reflection
Transmission
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: It reflects red light and absorbs all other colours.
(b)Answer: It reflects all colours of light equally.
it reflects all wavelengths / colours of light (equally)
(c)Answer: It absorbs all colours of light.
it absorbs all wavelengths / colours of light (and reflects none)
(d)Answer: Specular reflection
Question 2Medium6 marks
A student shines a beam of white light through coloured filters onto a white screen.
(a) Describe what happens to the white light as it passes through a red filter.[2]
(b) The student places a green filter in the beam after the red filter. Describe and explain what is seen on the screen.[2]
(c) The student removes the green filter. The red light shines onto a blue book. What colour does the book appear? Explain your answer.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Red light is transmitted; all other colours are absorbed.
the filter transmits red light
and absorbs all the other colours / wavelengths
(b)Answer: The screen is dark, because the green filter absorbs the red light that the red filter lets through.
no light reaches the screen / the screen looks dark
the green filter absorbs the red light (it only transmits green light, which was absorbed by the red filter)
(c)Answer: Black: the book absorbs the red light and there is no blue light for it to reflect.
black
the book absorbs red light / only reflects blue light, and there is no blue light shining on it
Question 3Hard7 marks
On a still day, a clear image of the trees on the far side of a lake can be seen reflected in the surface of the water. On a windy day there are ripples on the water. No clear image of the trees can be seen, but the surface of the lake still looks bright.
(a) Name the type of reflection that happens at the surface of the lake on the still day.[1]
(b) Explain why no clear image is seen on the windy day, even though the surface of the lake looks bright.[3]
(c) Bathroom windows are often made of frosted glass, which is translucent. Ordinary window glass is transparent. Describe the difference between a transparent material and a translucent material.[2]
(d) Suggest why frosted glass is used for bathroom windows.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Specular reflection
specular (reflection)
(b)Answer: The rippled surface scatters light in many directions (diffuse reflection), so no single image forms, but scattered light still reaches the eye.
the ripples make the surface rough / uneven
so light is reflected in many different directions (diffuse reflection / scattering)
light from each point on the trees does not reach the eye from a single direction, but reflected light still reaches the eye from all over the surface
(c)Answer: Both transmit light, but a transparent material lets you see clearly through it while a translucent one scatters the light.
both transmit light
light passes straight through a transparent material so objects can be seen clearly, but a translucent material scatters the light so objects cannot be seen clearly
(d)Answer: It lets light in but gives privacy.
it lets light into the room but people outside cannot see clearly into the room (privacy)