PAL (IGCSE) PHYSICS

Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

Properties of Waves
Including Light and Sound
PAL (IGCSE) Single Science
Revision Book - Section 3

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PAL (IGCSE) PHYSICS

Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

Syllabus Content_______________________________

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PAL (IGCSE) PHYSICS

Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

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PAL (IGCSE) PHYSICS

Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

Syllabus Details________________________________
3.1 General wave properties
Core
Describe what is meant by wave motion as illustrated by vibration in ropes and
springs and by experiments using water waves

WAVE MOTION:

Waves carry energy without the net movement of particles

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PAL (IGCSE) PHYSICS

Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

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PAL (IGCSE) PHYSICS

Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
Use the term wavefront

WAVEFRONT: Line connecting points with the same phase.

Give the meaning of speed, frequency, wavelength and amplitude

Term
Amplitude
Frequency

Symbol
A
f

Wavelength

Wave speed

Definition
Maximum displacement from the mean position
The number of oscillations that take place in 1
second
Shortest distance between two points in phase
with one another.
The speed at which wave fronts pass a
stationary observer

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PAL (IGCSE) PHYSICS

Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

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PAL (IGCSE) PHYSICS

Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
Distinguish between transverse and longitudinal waves and give suitable
examples

Describe the use of water waves to show:

reflection at a plane surface

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
refraction due to a change of speed

diffraction produced by wide and narrow gaps

Supplement
Recall and use the equation v = f

Interpret reflection, refraction and diffraction using wave theory

See above

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

3.2 Light
3.2 (a) Reflection of light
Core
Describe the formation, and give the characteristics, of an optical image by a
plane mirror

Use the law angle of incidence = angle of reflection

Supplement
Perform simple constructions, measurements and calculations

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

3.2 (b) Refraction of light

Core
Describe an experimental demonstration of the refraction of light

Use the terminology for the angle of incidence I and angle of refraction r and
describe the passage of light through parallel-sided transparent material

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
Give the meaning of critical angle
CRITICAL ANGLE: The angle of incidence beyond which light will totally internally
reflect
Describe internal and total internal reflection

Supplement
Recall and use the definition of refractive index n in terms of speed
Recall and use the equation sin i /sin r = n

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
Describe the action of optical fibres particularly in medicine and
communications technology

3.2 (c) Thin converging lens

Core
Describe the action of a thin converging lens on a beam of light
Use the term principal focus and focal length

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
Draw ray diagrams to illustrate the formation of a real image by a single
lens

Supplement
Draw ray diagrams to illustrate the formation of a virtual image by a single lens

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Use and describe the use of a single lens as a magnifying glass

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3.2 (d) Dispersion of light

Core
Give a qualitative account of the dispersion of light as shown by the action on
light of a glass prism

The refractive index is different for individual frequencies

The degree of refraction will increase with increasing frequency

3.2 (e) Electromagnetic spectrum

Core
Describe the main features of the electromagnetic spectrum and state that all
e.m. waves travel with the same high speed in vacuo

The speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum is constant

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
Describe the role of electromagnetic waves in:
radio and television communications (radio waves)
Radio Waves:
Used to transmit radio and television signals from
transmitters to houses etc. The information is stored in the
frequency and amplitude of the wave

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
satellite television and telephones (microwaves)
Microwaves:

Used to transmit data to and from land based and satellite

receivers. These transfer telephone and television signals.
Microwaves are effective over long distances

electrical appliances, remote controllers for televisions and intruder alarms

(infrared)
Infrared:

Used on remove controls for short transfer of data to the television

from the remote control
Detected by intruder alarms as IR is strongly emitted from hot
objects like humans

medicine and security (X-rays)

X-rays:

Used to view inside humans as they are weekly absorbed by skin

but more strongly absorbed by bone
Used to view inside bags etc as weakly absorbed by the skin of a
bag but strongly absorbed by metallic objects like knives

Demonstrate an awareness of safety issues regarding the use of microwaves

and X-rays
Safety issues of microwaves:

Microwaves interact very strongly with water causing it to vibrate

and so get hot.
This will also happen inside the human body as we are
predominantly water

Safety issues of X-rays:

X-rays are very high energy electromagnetic waves and will have an
ionizing effect on the human body.
Over exposure to X-rays can cause cancer

Supplement
State the approximate value of the speed of electro-magnetic waves
Speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum: 300 000 000 m/s
Use the term monochromatic
Monochromatic light: Light consisting of a single wavelength or frequency

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound

3.3 Sound
Core
Describe the production of sound by vibrating sources
Describe the longitudinal nature of sound waves

The vibrating source pushes the air particles

The particles in front of the vibrating source also vibrate
A longitudinal wave is created

State the approximate range of audible frequencies

HUMAN HEARING RANGE: 20 20000 Hz

Show an understanding that a medium is needed to transmit sound waves

Sound waves are vibrations in air particles

If there are no air particles present, no sound can be transmitted

Describe an experiment to determine the speed of sound in air

Measure out a distance of a few 100 meters

Have one person with a starter pistol at one end of the measured distance
At the other end of the measured distance a person measures the time
between seeing the smoke from the starter pistol and hearing the sound
We can assume that the light from the smoke gets to the timer
immediately as the speed of light is much faster than sound.
The speed of sound can be calculated from the distance and time interval

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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
Relate the loudness and pitch of sound waves to amplitude and frequency

Describe how the reflection of sound may produce an echo

Supplement
Describe compression and rarefaction

COMPRESSION: Area of high pressure

RAREFRACTION: Area of low pressure
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Section 3 Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound
State the order of magnitude of the speed of sound in air, liquids and
solids

SPEED OF SOUND:

AIR
LIQUIDS
SOLIDS

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= ~340 m/s
= ~1500 m/s (water)
= ~5000 m/s (steel)

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