AS Level Physics Waves: Past Papers & Step-by-Step Solutions

Finding AS Level Physics waves past papers is easy. Finding free step-by-step solutions that explain each mark is not. So most students practise without knowing why an answer scored or lost points.

This guide closes that gap. You get official CAIE 9702 and Edexcel papers in one place, a wave equation table, and examiner-style walkthroughs of the hardest questions.

Where can I find AS Physics waves papers?

Official AS Level Physics waves past papers come straight from the exam boards. Cambridge publishes them under the 9702 syllabus, and Edexcel publishes its own set. For faster revision, use topical banks that pull only Topic 7 and Topic 8 questions.

You can browse organised sets on our past papers library and always grab the mark scheme too. Here is how to get the right papers without wasting time:

• Choose topical waves banks over full papers for single-unit practice.
• Pick the correct series: June, November, or March for India.
• Download the mark scheme and examiner report with every paper.

Cambridge 9702 waves papers

In the 9702 course, waves questions appear across Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 tests them as multiple-choice items. Paper 2 tests them as structured questions that need full working. Both Topic 7 and Topic 8 show up here.

Edexcel AS waves papers

Edexcel covers the same core physics but splits it across different units. The equations match closely, yet the wording and mark points differ. A specialist Edexcel Physics tutor can show you exactly where the two boards diverge.

Waves topics and key equations

The 9702 syllabus splits this material into two topics. Topic 7, Waves, covers progressive waves, the Doppler effect, the electromagnetic spectrum, and polarisation. Topic 8, Superposition, covers stationary waves, two-source interference, the double-slit experiment, and the diffraction grating.

According to the Cambridge International 9702 syllabus for examination from 2025 to 2027, Topic 8 sits right after Topic 7, so examiners often link them in one question.

Edexcel folds the same content into its own unit list, but the physics stays the same. A waves past paper can test any part of it.

Five equations unlock almost every waves question. Wave speed is v = fλ, and node-to-node spacing on a stationary wave is λ/2.

The double-slit formula is λ = ax/D, the grating uses d sinθ = nλ, and Malus's law is I = I₀cos²θ. Some sit on the formula sheet; some you must memorise.

This table pairs each core wave equation with the question it solves, and tells you whether the 9702 data and formulae booklet gives it to you.

Equation	What it finds	On formula sheet?
v = fλ	Wave speed from frequency and wavelength	No, memorise it
Node spacing = λ/2	Wavelength from a stationary wave	No, memorise it
λ = ax/D	Wavelength from double-slit fringes	Yes, given to you
d sinθ = nλ	Grating angle or wavelength	Yes, given to you
I = I₀cos²θ	Intensity after a polariser	No, memorise it

Memorise the three that are not given, and practise rearranging each one. Edexcel's booklet lists slightly different formulae, so check yours first.

How to solve waves questions

Stationary waves

Start with the boundary conditions. Mark where the nodes and antinodes must sit. Use node-to-node distance = λ/2 to find the wavelength, then apply v = fλ to reach frequency. Stationary waves form when incident and reflected waves of equal frequency overlap.

Here is a worked example. A string fixed at both ends vibrates at its fundamental frequency. The string is 0.60 m long, and the wave speed is 240 m/s.

The string holds half a wavelength, so λ = 2 × 0.60 = 1.20 m. Then f = 240 ÷ 1.20 = 200 Hz. Mark schemes award one mark for the wavelength and one for the frequency.

Harmonics follow a clear pattern. The second harmonic doubles the fundamental, so it is 400 Hz. Examiners want you to show the pattern, not just the final number.

A CAIE Physics tutor can mark your working line by line against the official scheme. Watch for these common traps in stationary-wave questions:

• Node spacing is λ/2, not a full wavelength.
• Stationary waves store energy; they do not transfer it.
• State that the two waves have equal frequency and amplitude.

Interference and diffraction

First, read the setup and pick your equation. Two narrow slits close together point to λ = ax/D. A grating with many lines points to d sinθ = nλ. Both depend on path difference and coherent sources.

For a grating, convert lines per millimetre into slit spacing first. If a grating has 500 lines per mm, then d = 1 ÷ 500000 = 2.0 × 10⁻⁶ m. Many students skip this step and lose the mark.

Explain marks reward the idea of coherence. Two sources are coherent when they hold a constant phase difference. Without that, no stable fringe pattern forms.

Common mistakes and how to revise

Mistakes that lose marks

Four errors show up again and again. Students confuse node spacing (λ/2) with a full wavelength. They claim stationary waves transfer energy. They apply polarisation to sound, which is longitudinal. Each one is an easy mark to protect.

Cambridge examiner reports flag these same slips year after year. Protect these marks by avoiding the top four wave errors:

• Node spacing equals λ/2, never a whole wavelength.
• Progressive waves transfer energy; stationary waves do not.
• Only transverse waves can be polarised, so sound cannot.
• Convert lines per mm before finding grating spacing d.

Revising with past papers

Work each question before you open the mark scheme. Then compare your working line by line against the Cambridge waves solutions to see where marks are earned.

Re-attempt any question you missed after a short gap. Topical waves papers make this loop fast. If a topic keeps costing you marks, a specialist physics tutor can target it directly.

Build a simple three-pass routine with your papers:

• Do timed topical sets instead of passive re-reading.
• Read the mark scheme like an examiner, noting allowed answers.
• Revisit missed questions after two or three days.

Conclusion and next step

Real progress comes from pairing official AS Level Physics waves past papers with reasoning-first solutions. Notes alone will not move your grade. The mark scheme comparison is where the learning happens.

Here is your next step. Download the topical waves pack with its mark schemes today, complete one timed set, then check every line against the worked solutions.