Syllabus Aims…
3.3 know the definitions of amplitude, wavefront, frequency, wavelength and period of a wave
3.4 know that waves transfer energy and information without transferring matter
3.5 know and use the relationship between the speed, frequency and wavelength of a wave:
wave speed = frequency × wavelength
v = f × λ
3.6 use the relationship between frequency and time period: frequency = 1/time period
f = 1/T
3.7 use the above relationships in different contexts including sound waves and electromagnetic waves
3.2 explain the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves
3.9 explain that all waves can be reflected and refracted.
3.8 explain why there is a change in the observed frequency and wavelength of a wave when its source is moving relative to an observer, and that this is known as the Doppler effect (May be covered in Y10)
Resources…
Video Resources…
Wave Properties: This video explains the basic idea of a “waveform” and ripple tank to show “displacement” or amplitude over a period of time “T” with equations…
Period / Frequency: This video shows you how to do calculations for waves…
Longitudinal & Transverse: A super clear explanation of all the basic labels for wave and T and T waves.
String Waves: This is the required GCSE practical for AQA which is a way to work out the Speed of a wave on a string.
Doppler Shift: Example how how it sounds!
Doppler Shift: This shows now it works with compression or expansion of wave forms or a shift in wavelength
One Hertz Water Wave in a Kefalonia Swimming Pool
In Physics it is often quite useful to get back to basics and think about what does frequency really mean.
Often students struggle with the concept but it actually really simple. ...It means how many cycles there are in a wave or oscillation per second.
Just like a wheel spinning, how many times per second does it go around?
1Hz is one per second or 1/s
2Hz is two per second or 2/s
2Hz is clearly more cycles in a time of 1s so the wave takes 0.5s for each time period.
20Hz is 20 per second so 0.05s = the time period.
The unit is also strange as its per second and instead of writing /s we came up with the unit of Hertz from the Physics professor who found it out.Show MoreOne Hertz Water Wave in a Kefalonia Swimming Pool
In Physics it is often quite useful to get back to basics and think about what does frequency really mean.
Often students struggle with the concept but it actually really simple. ...It means how many cycles there are in a wave or oscillation per second.
Just like a wheel spinning, how many times per second does it go around?
1Hz is one per second or 1/s
2Hz is two per second or 2/s
2Hz is clearly more cycles in a time of 1s so the wave takes 0.5s for each time period.
20Hz is 20 per second so 0.05s = the time period.
The unit is also strange as its per second and instead of writing /s we came up with the unit of Hertz from the Physics professor who found it out.Show More Properties of Waves - Exploring Wave Motion (1/5)
Wave Period and Frequency
GCSE Physics - Intro to Waves - Longitudinal and Transverse Waves
⭐ Test yourself with our quiz: https://cognitoedu.link/physics_waves
This video covers:
- What waves are
- How to label a wave. E.g. amplitude, wavelength, crest, trough and time period
- How to calculate wave ...speed
- The difference between transverse and longitudinal waves
General info:
- Suitable for all GCSE and IGCSE courses
- Suitable for higher and foundation tiers
- Suitable for triple and combined science
Exam board specific info:
AQA - Everything is relevant to your course!
IGCSE Edexcel - Everything is relevant to your course!
Edexcel - Everything is relevant to your course!
OCR 21st Century - Everything is relevant to your course!
OCR Gateway - Everything is relevant to your course!Show More 3 Waves iGCSE Topic Revision
iGCSE Edexcel Physics revision summaries (there are some sub section videos as well on this channel).
They go through the basics of each area in turn so you can pause and ...listen.Show More Doppler Effect
a good video and audio example of the Doppler effect. the sound that is perceived changes because of a moving object. higher frequency of an object moving towards listening, ...and lower frequency as object moves away.Show More The Doppler Effect: what does motion do to waves?
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves Slinky spring
This is a typical quick classical Physics demo of a slinky to show longitudinal and transverse waves. I have put a scale of 0.5m on the wavelength so you can ...work out a whole wavelength. Also you have a small amplitude scale to show the energy of the wave.Show More Physics - Waves - Diffraction
A high school GCSE and iGCSE science physics revision video all about diffraction of waves. Wavelength and the size of the gap are improtant factors. For AQA, Edexcel and OCR ...exam boards.Show More GCSE Physics - Refraction of waves
Concave and Convex Mirrors
This is a quick video to show how you get a focal point or divergence for a mirror either in a convex or concave shape.
Use the triple slit to show ...it.Show More Dispersion and Refraction Equilateral Prism
Dispersion is a quite complex idea where rays of light are refracted by a prism twice.
This is made more complex as the two sides are the equilateral triangle are ...at 60 to each other. If we use white light which ranges from 400nm to 700nm (nanometres or 1x10-9m) we find that each wavelength or “colour” ROY-G-BIV is refracted just slightly differently to form a “Spectrum” of light.
When light travels through a vacuum it is moving at the “speed of light” or “c” or 3 x 108m/s
If the light enters a denser medium such as air it will slow down. This is called refraction. If a wave enters the medium at an angle it will also change direction. The reverse is true and waves which speed up, also refract.
Water waves behave in the same way as they get to shallow water, they slow down and the wavelength becomes shorter.Show More Mechanical Model for Longitudinal Waves
In a longitudinal wave the particle displacement is parallel to the direction of wave propagation. The animation at right shows a one-dimensional longitudinal plane wave propagating (moves) down a tube. ...The particles do not move down the tube with the wave; they simply oscillate back and forth about their individual equilibrium positions. They experience compression and rarefaction.
Pick a single particle and watch its motion. The wave is seen as the motion of the compressed region (ie, it is a pressure wave), which moves from left to right.
Using a slinky you can try this out. This model shows how the air molecules compress and expand when we talk. Rarefaction is an expansion of particles. Compression is closer together.
Common examples include;
Sound
slinky springs
seismic p waves.
Longitudinal waves cannot be polarised as unlike transverse waves they don’t travel side to side.Show More Extension Ideas…
