A 2-beam oscilloscope is used to determine the speed of sound in air - Edexcel - A-Level Physics - Question 3 - 2023 - Paper 2
Question 3
A 2-beam oscilloscope is used to determine the speed of sound in air. The oscilloscope screen shown displays the signal used to produce the sound wave.
The time-bas... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A 2-beam oscilloscope is used to determine the speed of sound in air - Edexcel - A-Level Physics - Question 3 - 2023 - Paper 2
Step 1
Determine the Period from the Oscilloscope Signal
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Answer
To find the frequency, we first need to determine the period of the wave displayed on the oscilloscope. The given time base is set at 50 μs per division. We count the number of divisions that one complete wave takes. Assuming it takes 4 divisions to complete one wave:
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Answer
Frequency ( ) is the reciprocal of the period (T):
f=T1
Substituting the value of the period:
f=200×10−61=5000Hz.
Step 3
Determine the Correct Answer Option
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Answer
Finally, we check the calculated frequency against the options provided:
A: 5×50×10−6 = 0.00025 Hz
B: 2.5×50×10−6 = 0.000125 Hz
C: 1 = 1 Hz
D: 2.5×5×10−6 = 0.0000125 Hz
The correct interpretation leads to the conclusion that option C (1 Hz) does not match the calculated frequency, therefore option C must not be correct based on our calculations. The frequency calculated appears valid and thus the expected option can be adjusted if further details from the marking scheme were to allow such alterations.
