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6. Waves

Wave properties

7 lessons
6.1 Transverse and longitudinal waves Waves transfer energy without transferring matter; transverse and longitudinal waves, compressions and rarefactions, and evidence that the medium does not travel with the wave. AQA Edexcel OCR 6.2 Wave properties and the wave equation Amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period of a wave, the wave equation v = f x wavelength, and T = 1/f, with typical wave speeds. AQA Edexcel OCR 6.3 Required practical: measuring waves Required practical: measure the speed of waves using a ripple tank and a vibrating string, and calculate speed from frequency and wavelength. AQA Edexcel OCR 6.4 Reflection, refraction and wavefronts What happens when waves meet a boundary: reflection, absorption and transmission, the law of reflection, refraction as a change in speed, and wavefronts (Higher), with total internal reflection for Edexcel. AQA Edexcel OCR 6.5 Required practical: reflection and refraction of light Required practical: investigate the reflection of light by a mirror and the refraction of light through a rectangular glass block by tracing rays and measuring angles. AQA Edexcel OCR 6.6 Sound waves and hearing Higher tier: how sound travels as vibrations in different materials, frequency and pitch, amplitude and loudness, how the ear works, and the range of human hearing. For Separate Science. Higher only Separate only AQA Edexcel OCR 6.7 Ultrasound, echoes and seismic waves Higher tier: using ultrasound and echoes for medical scans and sonar, calculating distances from time and speed, and how P-waves and S-waves reveal the structure of the Earth. For Separate Science. Higher only Separate only AQA Edexcel OCR

Electromagnetic waves

6 lessons
6.8 The electromagnetic spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum: transverse waves that travel at the same speed in a vacuum, the seven groups in order of wavelength and frequency, and the visible spectrum. AQA Edexcel OCR 6.9 Uses and dangers of electromagnetic waves The uses of each part of the electromagnetic spectrum, why they are suited to those uses, and the dangers of ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays. AQA Edexcel OCR 6.10 Required practical: infrared radiation from surfaces Required practical: investigate how the surface of an object affects the amount of infrared radiation it emits (and absorbs), using a Leslie cube and an infrared detector. AQA Edexcel OCR 6.11 Black body radiation and the temperature of the Earth How all objects emit electromagnetic radiation, how intensity and wavelength depend on temperature, perfect black bodies, and the factors that decide the temperature of the Earth. For Separate Science. Separate only AQA Edexcel OCR 6.12 Lenses Convex and concave lenses, focal length, ray diagrams for real and virtual images, and magnification = image height / object height. For Separate Science. Separate only AQA Edexcel OCR 6.13 Visible light, colour and reflection Specular and diffuse reflection, why objects appear coloured, transparent, translucent and opaque materials, and the effect of colour filters. For Separate Science. Separate only AQA Edexcel OCR