GCSE Physics (AQA) chapter 6: Waves MCQs with answers

By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026

50 exam-style questions on Waves, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.

50 questions · 5 topics · 10 per test

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What chapter 6 covers

Ten Waves questions with answers

Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.

1. A ship sends a sonar pulse to the sea bed and receives the echo 0.80 s later. Sound travels at 1500 m/s in sea water. How deep is the water?

  1. A
    1200 m
  2. B
    300 m
  3. C
    600 m
  4. D
    1875 m
Show answer

Answer: C. Total distance = 1500 × 0.80 = 1200 m for the journey there and back. Depth = 1200 ÷ 2 = 600 m.

2. A radio wave has a wavelength of 1500 m and travels at 3.0 × 108 m/s. What is its frequency?

  1. A
    2.0 × 105 Hz
  2. B
    4.5 × 1011 Hz
  3. C
    5.0 × 10−6 Hz
  4. D
    2.0 × 108 Hz
Show answer

Answer: A. f = v ÷ λ = 3.0 × 108 ÷ 1500 = 2.0 × 105 Hz. Multiplying gives 4.5 × 1011.

3. Why are X-rays and gamma rays hazardous to human body tissue?

  1. A
    they only heat the tissue
  2. B
    they are longitudinal waves
  3. C
    they have very long wavelengths
  4. D
    they are ionising radiation, which can cause mutation of genes and cancer
Show answer

Answer: D. X-rays and gamma rays carry enough energy to ionise atoms, which can damage DNA, causing gene mutation and cancer.

4. Which statement about infrared radiation is correct?

  1. A
    all bodies emit and absorb infrared radiation, whatever their temperature
  2. B
    only hot objects emit infrared radiation
  3. C
    cold objects absorb infrared radiation but never emit it
  4. D
    only black objects emit infrared radiation
Show answer

Answer: A. All objects emit and absorb infrared radiation, whatever their temperature and colour.

5. How does the human ear detect sound?

  1. A
    sound waves are converted to light in the ear
  2. B
    the eardrum absorbs sound and turns it into heat
  3. C
    sound travels through the ear as transverse waves
  4. D
    sound waves make the eardrum and other parts of the ear vibrate, which causes the sensation of sound
Show answer

Answer: D. Sound waves cause the eardrum and small bones behind it to vibrate. This conversion only works over a limited frequency range, which limits human hearing.

6. An iron bar glows dull red when heated, and then orange-yellow as it gets hotter. Why?

  1. A
    at a higher temperature it emits mainly longer wavelengths
  2. B
    the hot iron reflects more of the light in the room
  3. C
    a chemical reaction changes the colour of the iron
  4. D
    at a higher temperature a greater proportion of its radiation is at shorter wavelengths
Show answer

Answer: D. As temperature increases the emitted spectrum shifts towards shorter wavelengths, so the glow moves from red towards yellow and white.

7. In a ripple tank, 10 waves pass a point in 5.0 s. The distance across 5 complete wavelengths is 20 cm. What is the speed of the waves?

  1. A
    0.020 m/s
  2. B
    0.080 m/s
  3. C
    0.40 m/s
  4. D
    8.0 m/s
Show answer

Answer: B. f = 10 ÷ 5.0 = 2.0 Hz. λ = 20 cm ÷ 5 = 4.0 cm = 0.040 m. v = fλ = 2.0 × 0.040 = 0.080 m/s. Using 20 cm as one wavelength gives 0.40 m/s.

8. When does a body stay at a constant temperature?

  1. A
    when it absorbs radiation at the same rate as it emits radiation
  2. B
    when it emits radiation faster than it absorbs it
  3. C
    when it stops absorbing radiation
  4. D
    when it absorbs radiation faster than it emits it
Show answer

Answer: A. A body at constant temperature is in balance: it absorbs and emits radiation at the same rate. Absorbing faster makes it warm up.

9. A wave reaches the boundary between two materials. What is meant by transmission?

  1. A
    the wave bounces back from the boundary
  2. B
    the wave's frequency changes
  3. C
    the wave's energy is transferred to the material, heating it
  4. D
    the wave passes through the material
Show answer

Answer: D. Transmission means the wave carries on through the new material. Bouncing back is reflection; energy taken in by the material is absorption.

10. A magnifying glass produces a magnification of 4.0. An object is 0.60 cm tall. How tall is the image?

  1. A
    0.15 cm
  2. B
    2.4 cm
  3. C
    4.6 cm
  4. D
    6.7 cm
Show answer

Answer: B. Image height = magnification × object height = 4.0 × 0.60 = 2.4 cm.

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Ways to practise this chapter

Waves: questions students ask

How many Waves MCQs are there?

50, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 5 topics: Transverse and longitudinal waves and wave properties (AQA 4.6.1.1–4.6.1.2), Reflection, sound and waves for detection and exploration (AQA 4.6.1.3–4.6.1.5), Electromagnetic waves: properties, uses and hazards (AQA 4.6.2.1–4.6.2.4), Lenses and visible light (AQA 4.6.2.5–4.6.2.6), Black body radiation (AQA 4.6.3). Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.

Is the GCSE Physics (AQA) chapter 6 test free?

Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.

How is the chapter test marked?

The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.

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