AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Uses
properties
Uses and
and properties
of
of waves
waves

Hodder Education Revision Lessons

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Overview 1
The different types of electromagnetic radiation travel as
waves and move energy from one place to another.
They can all travel through a vacuum and do so at the same
speed.
The waves cover a continuous range of wavelengths called the
electromagnetic spectrum.
The uses and hazards of the radiation in different parts of the
electromagnetic spectrum depend on the wavelength and
frequency.

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Overview 2
Sound waves and some mechanical waves are longitudinal,
and cannot travel through a vacuum.
Current evidence suggests that the universe is expanding and
that matter and space expanded violently and rapidly from a
very small initial point, i.e. the universe began with a big
bang.
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
How do longitudinal waves differ from transverse waves?
What is meant by the big bang?
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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

General properties of waves 1

Waves transfer energy.
Waves may be either transverse or longitudinal.
Electromagnetic waves are transverse, sound waves are
longitudinal and mechanical waves may be either transverse or
longitudinal.
All types of electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed
through a vacuum (space).

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

General properties of waves 2

Longitudinal waves
show areas of
compression and
rarefaction.
Waves can be reflected, refracted and
diffracted. Waves undergo a change of
direction when they are refracted at an
interface.
What do the terms frequency,
wavelength and amplitude mean?
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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

General properties of waves 3

All waves obey the wave equation:
v=f
where
v is speed in metres per second, m/s
f is frequency in hertz, Hz
is wavelength in metres, m
What is the velocity of a wave of frequency 1 kHz and
wavelength 50 cm?

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Electromagnetic spectrum 1
Radio waves, microwaves, infrared and visible light can be used
for communication.

Why arent X-rays and gamma rays used for communication?

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Electromagnetic spectrum 2
Name of wave

Some uses

Hazard

Radio

Communications

None

Microwave

Communications, cooking

Heat and kill body cells

Infrared

Communications, cooking,

Skin burns

thermographs, remote controls

Visible light

Communications, laser surgery

None unless the source is very

bright

Ultraviolet

Lighting, sunbathing

Skin cancer

X-rays

X-ray photography, CT scans

Mutate/kill cells, cause cancer

Gamma rays

Treatment of cancer, numerous

Kill cells, cause cancer

industrial applications

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Reflection
The normal is a construction line perpendicular to the reflecting
surface at the point of incidence. The angle of incidence is equal
to the angle of reflection.
The image produced in a plane mirror is virtual and upright.

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Sound
Sound waves are longitudinal waves and cause vibrations in
a medium, which are detected as sound.
The pitch of a sound is determined by its frequency.
Echoes are reflections of sounds and can be used to
determine the speed of sound.
Can sound pass through space?

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

The Doppler effect

If a wave source is moving relative to an observer there will be
a change in the observed wavelength and frequency.
This is known as the Doppler effect.

Explain why the tone you can hear from a racing car changes as
it comes towards you and then moves away from you.
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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Red-shift 1
There is an observed increase in the wavelength of light from
distant galaxies. The further away the galaxies are, the faster
they are moving, and the bigger the observed increase in
wavelength.
This effect is called the red-shift.

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AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Red-shift 2

AQA GCSE Science & Additional Science

Physics 1 Topic 5

Big bang theory

The observed red-shift provides evidence that the universe is
expanding and supports the big bang theory (that the
universe began from a small initial point).
Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) is a form of
electromagnetic radiation that fills the universe. It comes from
radiation that was present shortly after the beginning of the
universe.
The big bang theory is currently the only theory that can
explain the existence of CMBR.

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