Sound

Sound waves are _____________ (transverse/longitudinal). They travel as

_________ (vibrations/EM waves). They are made up of ________

Waves Revision Booklet

(compressions/extensions) and _________ (expansions/rarefactions) and

are detected by our _________ (ear drums/pinna). These vibrations are
converted to ________ (electrical/light) signals in the cochlea.
Sound can travel through solids, liquids and gases, but they cannot travel
through vacuums - this is because a vacuum _____________________.
Which of the following sounds are in the audible range for the average human?
12 kHz 200 Hz 21 kHz

0.5 kHz

1 Hz 0.1 MHz 15 kHz 900 Hz

Name:

Class:

Waves transfer ______ and information without transferring ______.

Label each of the waves as either transverse of longitudinal.
1 Second
1 Second
Calculate the time period and frequency of each of the above waves.
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Which of the waves above has the highest pitch? Explain your answer.
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Which of the waves is the loudest? Explain your answer.
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Write a sentence about how each is defined. _____________________

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Diffraction
A

Wave
Direction

Properties of Waves

Label the wavelength and amplitude on the wave, and complete the table below.
Wave Property Definition
Wavelength
Amplitude

Draw on the wavelength of both waves.

Complete the above diagrams for both waves.

Frequency

Define diffraction:

Time Period

____________________________________________________

Complete the two equations and hence answer the following calculations.
Frequency =

Wave Speed =
-7

A radio wave has a time period of 5 x 10 s (0.0000005 s). Calculate the

frequency and the wavelength. _______________________________
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Why does one wave diffract more than the other?
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Refractive Index

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Complete the two equations for calculating the refractive index:

Refractive Index (n) = Speed of Light in Vacuum

or

sin i

Complete the above table using the equation you have just completed. Use the space below
for your calculations.

Electromagnetic _______ travels as _______ waves and transfers _____

from one place to another. All electromagnetic waves can travel through a
vacuum, and they all travel at the same speed in a vacuum - the speed of
_____. The electromagnetic spectrum is a continuous range of _________.
The types of radiation that occur in each part of the spectrum have different
uses and dangers, which depend on their wavelength and ________.
Words: frequency radiation light energy wavelengths r transverse

Substance

Speed of Light (m/s)

Refractive Index

Air

300 000 000

1.0

Water

225 000 000

Put the seven different sections of the EM spectrum in the table below, in
order of increasing wavelength. Then complete the table.

Perspex

200 000 000

Section

Sources

Gamma Rays

Radioactive materials. Geiger-Mller tube.

Sterilising food and medical

equipment, radiotherapy.

X-rays

X-ray tubes.

X-radiography.

Ultraviolet

UV lamps and the Sun. Skin, photographic

film.

Fluorescent tubes and UV

tanning lamps.

Visible

Luminous objects.

Eyes, photographic
film, LDRs.

Seeing, communication
(optical fibres), photography.

Infrared

Hot objects.

Skin, blackened
thermometers.

Infrared heaters, remote

controls, thermal imaging.

Microwaves

Microwave transmitters and ovens.

Microwave receivers.

Mobile phone and satellite

communication, cooking.

Radio Waves

Radio transmitters,
TV transmitters.

Radio and TV aerials.

Long-, medium- and shortwave radio, TV.

Glass

1.5

Diamond

2.4

A ray of light enters a glass block at 40 from the normal. The angle of refraction was 25.
Calculate the refractive index of the glass. ________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Complete the diagram:
What use could we have for this situation?
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
What other uses do we have for total internal reflection?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________

Detectors

Photographic film.

Uses

Hazards are associated with EM radiation. List some of the dangers below.
Microwaves: ___________________________________________
Infrared: _____________________________________________
Ultraviolet: ____________________________________________
Gamma-rays: ___________________________________________

What causes light to refract? _____________________________

Reflection & Refraction

_________________________________________________

Complete the equation for the law of reflection:

Angle of Incidence = Angle of Reflection

Using the law of reflection, and using a protractor, complete the

follow-

Air
Glass

Using the diagram below, explain what happens to a ray of

light as it enters and exits a more optically dense medium.
_____________________
_____________________

ing diagram:

_____________________

Air

_____________________

_________________________________________________
Angle of incidence =

Angle of reflection =

Give the definition of a virtual image:

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_________________________________________________

What would happen if the angle of incidence was 0?

_________________________________________________
Glass
Air

What are the three properties of virtual image? Use the image to explain
your answers. ________________________________________
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__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

Glass
Air

Glass

Air
What is the name of the angle labelled C?
___________________________
Explain, in as much detail as you can, what
happens as the angle of incidence increases.

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