# Topic Questions: 151 understand the distinction between free and forced oscillations — WPH15 Oscillations

> 9 WPH15 Oscillations topic questions (23 marks) on 151 understand the distinction between free and… — 8 papers, 2021–2025. Open the exact question in the…

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Edexcel IAL · Physics · WPH15 · Oscillations

9 WPH15 Oscillations topic questions are tagged to this syllabus point across 8 papers (2021–2025). Only the parts whose knowledge graph matches this syllabus statement are counted, and the table shows which parts of each question are involved.

- 9 topic questions
- 8 papers
- 23 tagged marks
- 6.2% of topic questions
- 7.5% of topic marks
- 2021–2025
- Syllabus 2018–current
- [All WPH15 Oscillations topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/oscillations/)
- [All paper codes](https://www.examsci.com/topics/)

Core finding

**This Oscillations syllabus point appears in 8 WPH15 papers across 2021–2025, contributing 9 topic questions and 23 marks.** The most recent appearance is WPH15/01 October 2025. That equals 6.2% of the 145 topic questions and 7.5% of the 306 marks tagged to Oscillations. Only parts tagged to this subtopic are counted, so a four-part question can contribute one item and one part's marks. The table lists every matching question, its tagged parts and marks, with a link back to the paper page. Sessions are newest first, so the statement can be traced back through the full paper history.

## Topic questions by session

Newest sessions first. Parts and marks count only the parts tagged to this subtopic; “x of y parts” shows how much of the question is tagged elsewhere. Select the paper cell to open the matching question on the paper page, or use **Go to Practice Hub** to answer that exact question in the Interactive Practice Hub.

| Paper | Question | Type | Parts | Marks | Difficulty | Practice |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [**WPH15/01** October 2025 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2025-october-wph15-01/#q-1) | **Q1** Oscillations - Resonance - Edexcel IAL Physics Oct 2025 Q1 | MCQ | MCQ · 1 part | 1 | Easy | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=a7fbae2d-76be-4ac0-9bd4-df3ed119c92f&question_id=8c298f3c-608f-4e57-b991-40a75f5b12ed&source_detail=WPH15%2F01+October+2025) |
| [**WPH15/01** October 2025 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2025-october-wph15-01/#q-5) | **Q5** Oscillations - Mass-Spring Oscillator - Edexcel IAL Physics Oct 2025 Q5 | MCQ | MCQ · 1 part | 1 | Easy | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=a7fbae2d-76be-4ac0-9bd4-df3ed119c92f&question_id=03574d1c-6408-4c40-b60f-788ad81bd997&source_detail=WPH15%2F01+October+2025) |
| [**WPH15/01** January 2025 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2025-january-wph15-01/#q-15) | **Q15** Resonance and Damping on the Millennium Bridge - Edexcel IAL Physics Jan 2025 Q15 | FRQ | 1 part | 6 | Medium | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=40c335c3-e98a-43c8-b5d1-d1abedfaca1a&question_id=cc270775-77d5-4882-bf41-0c266b873c10&source_detail=WPH15%2F01+January+2025) |
| [**WPH15/01** June 2024 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2024-june-wph15-01/#q-4) | **Q4** Forced Oscillation Frequency - Edexcel IAL Physics Unit 5 Jun 2024 Q4 | MCQ | MCQ · 1 part | 1 | Easy | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=fd4de767-0a74-4fd7-9f81-6fb7daf58d01&question_id=bc8c2d22-5ea9-48cb-8313-526ce026b143&source_detail=WPH15%2F01+June+2024) |
| [**WPH15/01** January 2023 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2023-january-wph15-01/#q-19) | **Q19** Car Suspension Resonance and Damping - Edexcel IAL Physics Jan 2023 Q19 | FRQ | 1 of 3 parts ((a)) | 2 of 9 on the paper | Medium | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=79fd249d-5274-48b7-a2fe-e660c6fd21a0&question_id=8f897898-e55b-4a8e-8ca0-e21b8466d1ba&source_detail=WPH15%2F01+January+2023) |
| [**WPH15/01** June 2022 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2022-june-wph15-01/#q-14) | **Q14** Observations of Sound and Resonance in a Glass - Edexcel IAL Physics Jun 2022 Q14 | FRQ | 1 part | 6 | Hard | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=9a093fb4-7c1b-4987-9e36-33b3e20c2b25&question_id=23ce606f-71af-4ff6-a141-99ab7fc4f1bc&source_detail=WPH15%2F01+June+2022) |
| [**WPH15/01** January 2022 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2022-january-wph15-01/#q-17) | **Q17** Loudspeaker Cone Oscillations - Edexcel IAL Physics Jan 2022 Q17 | FRQ | 1 of 4 parts ((a)) | 3 of 9 on the paper | Medium | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=ba0935d7-8bd2-4880-a14a-07ef68b24285&question_id=e7a589e3-e842-45a0-b65e-3cc187cd39b1&source_detail=WPH15%2F01+January+2022) |
| [**WPH15/02** January 2022 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2022-january-wph15-02/#q-4) | **Q4** Identifying Resonant Oscillations - Edexcel IAL Physics Jan 2022 Q4 | MCQ | MCQ · 1 part | 1 | Easy | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=23304130-a638-4c40-b130-1921931842df&question_id=2e6addb5-75b5-4cd7-b8b5-bede2818fca4&source_detail=WPH15%2F02+January+2022) |
| [**WPH15/01** January 2021 · Edexcel IAL](https://www.examsci.com/past-papers/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/2021-january-wph15-01/#q-18) | **Q18** Simple Harmonic Motion - bee wing oscillations | FRQ | 1 of 6 parts ((c)(iii)) | 2 of 13 on the paper | Easy | [Go to Practice Hub](https://www.examsci.com/practice?set_id=2e0b1233-9e48-4222-bc71-6c120258396f&question_id=70268304-2168-4d5c-8383-f0850d9e637b&source_detail=WPH15%2F01+January+2021) |

## Related topic questions in Oscillations

- [143 understand that the condition for simple harmonic motion is $F=-kx$, and hence understand how to identify situations in which simple harmonic motion will occur](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/oscillations/143-understand-that-the-condition-for-simple-harmonic-motion-is-f-kx-and-hence/) — 29 question items · 18 papers — 55 marks · 2020–2026
- [144 be able to use the equations $a = -\omega^{2}x$, $x = A\cos\omega t$, $v=-A\omega\sin\omega t$, $a = -A\omega^{2}\cos\omega t$, and $T=\frac{1}{f}=\frac{2\pi}{\omega}$ and $\omega=2\pi f$ as applied to a simple harmonic oscillator](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/oscillations/144-be-able-to-use-the-equations-a-omega-2-x-x-a-cos-omega-t-v-a-omega-sin-omega-t-a/) — 38 question items · 20 papers — 97 marks · 2020–2026
- [145 be able to use equations for a simple harmonic oscillator $T=2\pi\sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}$ and a simple pendulum $T=2\pi\sqrt{\frac{l}{g}}$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/oscillations/145-be-able-to-use-equations-for-a-simple-harmonic-oscillator-t-2-pi-sqrt-frac-m-k/) — 31 question items · 20 papers — 87 marks · 2020–2026
- [146 be able to draw and interpret a displacement-time graph for an object oscillating and know that the gradient at a point gives the velocity at that point](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/oscillations/146-be-able-to-draw-and-interpret-a-displacement-time-graph-for-an-object-oscillating/) — 12 question items · 11 papers — 22 marks · 2020–2026
- [147 be able to draw and interpret a velocity-time graph for an oscillating object and know that the gradient at a point gives the acceleration at that point](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/oscillations/147-be-able-to-draw-and-interpret-a-velocity-time-graph-for-an-oscillating-object-and/) — 12 question items · 11 papers — 20 marks · 2021–2026
- [148 understand what is meant by resonance](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/oscillations/148-understand-what-is-meant-by-resonance/) — 17 question items · 15 papers — 43 marks · 2020–2026

## Topic question rules and edge cases

**How many topic questions cover this syllabus point?**

9 question stems cover this subtopic across 8 papers, but only 9 tagged parts and 23 marks belong to it. Other parts of the same questions are assessed under different statements and are excluded from this page.

**Which papers include this subtopic?**

The table lists every matching session from 2021–2025. Each row links to the question anchor on the paper page, where the full paper context and practice entry point are available.

**Why can one question appear under several subtopics?**

The parts of one question can assess different syllabus statements. Each part is counted under its own subtopics, so the same question stem can appear on several subtopic pages while each page lists only the parts and marks tagged to that statement.

**Can I practise these questions with AI marking?**

Yes. Open a paper from the table and use the Interactive Practice Hub entry point. The page itself is static HTML so search engines and retrieval agents can read the full question list without executing JavaScript.

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Full page with native tables, bar charts and Practice Hub links: https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/physics/physics-unit-5-wph15/oscillations/151-understand-the-distinction-between-free-and-forced-oscillations/