Waves

What you'll learn

• Describe wave motion as illustrated by vibration in ropes, springs and ripple tanks
• Understand and use terms: displacement, amplitude, phase difference, period, frequency, wavelength and speed
• Understand the use of the time-base and y-gain of a cathode-ray oscilloscope (CRO) to determine frequency and amplitude
• Derive the wave equation v = fλ
• Recall and use the equation v = fλ
• Understand that energy is transferred by a progressive wave
• Recall and use intensity = power/area and intensity is proportional to (amplitude)2 for a progressive wave
• Compare transverse and longitudinal waves
• Analyse and interpret graphical representations of transverse and longitudinal waves
• Understand the Doppler effect for sound waves
• Use the expression fo = fsv/(v ± vs) for the observed frequency when a source of sound waves moves relative to a stationary observer
• State that all electromagnetic waves are transverse waves that travel with the same speed c in free space
• Recall the approximate range of wavelengths in free space of the principal regions of the electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to γ-rays
• Recall that wavelengths in the range 400–700 nm in free space are visible to the human eye
• Understand that polarisation is a phenomenon associated with transverse waves
• Recall and use Malus’s law (I = I0 cos2 θ ) to calculate the intensity of a plane polarised electromagnetic wave after transmission through a polarising filter or a series of polarising filters

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