A sound wave travels from the left to the right.
The graph shows the variation of the displacement to the right of particles in the sound wave with distance, at one instant.
[Diagram shows a displacement-distance graph for a sound wave. Displacement to the right is on the y-axis, distance on the x-axis. The wave starts at 0, goes up to a peak (A), crosses 0, goes down to a trough (B), crosses 0, goes up to a peak (D), etc. C is at a zero displacement point between A and B.]
Which letter represents the centre of a compression?

Q: What topic does this question test?

This question tests Waves in A-Level Physics (syllabus code 9702). It is worth 1 mark.

Q: Which exam paper is this question from?

This question appeared in the Cambridge A-Level Physics May/June 2025 examination, Paper 1 Variant 2 (9702_s25_qp_12.pdf).

Question

A sound wave travels from the left to the right.
The graph shows the variation of the displacement to the right of particles in the sound wave with distance, at one instant.
[Diagram shows a displacement-distance graph for a sound wave. Displacement to the right is on the y-axis, distance on the x-axis. The wave starts at 0, goes up to a peak (A), crosses 0, goes down to a trough (B), crosses 0, goes up to a peak (D), etc. C is at a zero displacement point between A and B.]
Which letter represents the centre of a compression?

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The correct answer is B: B.

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