IGCSE PHYSICS NOTES

Chapter - General properties of waves

○ What do waves transfer [1] ?

Energy and information without transferring matter.

○ What are waves [2] ?

Oscillations and vibrations of matter about a fixed point. Waves transfer energy
without transferring matter.

○ What is a transverse wave [3] ?

A wave whose oscillations are perpendicular to its direction of energy transfer.

Transverse waves can move using liquids and solids but not using gases. For
example, electromagnetic waves, ripples on the surface of the water, vibrations
on a guitar string and S-waves.

○ What is a longitudinal wave [4] ?

A wave whose oscillations are parallel to its direction of energy transfer.

Longitudinal wave travels in the direction of its oscillations. Longitudinal waves
can move in solids, liquids and gases. For example, sound waves, P-waves and
pressure waves.

○ Why can’t longitudinal waves move in vacuum [1] ?

There are no particles to carry out compressions and rare refractions in a

vaccum.

○ What is wavelength [1] ?

The distance between two successive points of a wave.

○ What is the wavelength of a transverse wave [1] ?

The distance between two successive crests.

○ What is the wavelength of a longitudinal wave [1]?

The distance between the center of two successive compressions.

○ What is the symbol for wavelength [1] ?

λ (lambda)

○ What is the SI unit of wavelength [1] ?

Meter (m)

○ What is wave frequency [1] ?

The number of waves that pass a fixed point in a given amount of time.

○ What is the symbol for frequency [1] ?

○ What is the SI unit of frequency [1] ?

Hertz (Hz). 1Hz means 1 wave has passed a fixed point in 1 second.

○ What is wave speed [1] ?

The rate at which energy is transferred through a medium. Wave speed is the
distance travelled by wave each second.

○ How to determine the speed of a wave (wave speed) [1] ?

■ Wave speed = Frequency x wavelength (lambda)

■ v=fλ
○ What is the symbol for wave speed [1] ?

○ What is the SI unit of wave speed [1] ?

m/s (meter per second)

○ What is a crest or a peak of a wave [1] ?

The highest point on a wave above the equilibrium.

○ What is the trough of a wave [1] ?

 The lowest point on a wave below the equilibrium.

○ What is an amplitude of a wave [2] ?

The distance from the undisturbed position from the crest or trough of a wave.
Amplitude is the maximum or minimum displacement from the undisturbed
position.

○ What is the symbol of amplitude [1] ?

○ What is the SI unit of amplitude [1] ?

Meter (m)

○ What are the similarities between transverse and longitudinal waves [2] ?

■ The direction of energy transfer is similar to the direction of the wave.

■ No transfer of matter takes place.
■ Both waves oscillate.
○ Differences between transverse and longitudinal waves [4] ?

■ Some transverse waves such as electromagnetic waves can travel in a

vacuum but longitudinal waves cannot.
■ Transverse waves oscillate perpendicularly and longitudinal waves
oscillate parallelly to the direction of their energy transfer.
■ Pressure is constant in transverse waves compared to longitudinal waves.
■ Density is constant in transverse waves compared to longitudinal waves.
○ What are compressions [2]?

Regions in the longitudinal wave where particles are compressed and close
together. The volume decreases, therefore the pressure and density increases.

○ What are rare refractions [2]?

Regions in a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread out and far from
each other. The volume increases, therefore the pressure and density increases.

○ How does reflection occur [1] ?

Reflection occurs when a wave hits a boundary between two media and does
not pass through, but stays in the original medium.
○ What is the law of reflection [1] ?

The angle of incidence = The angle of reflection

○ How does refraction occur [2] ?

Refraction occurs when a wave travels from one medium to another changing its
direction. The direction of a wave changes during refraction because the speed
of the wave changes when it travels from one medium to another.

○ What are the effects of refraction on the wave [2] ?

During refraction the speed of the wave changes as the wavelength changes
and the direction of the wave changes.

○ Why does a wave change direction during refraction [4] ?

During refraction, a wave travels through many mediums with different densities.
Change in speed is caused by changes in wavelength. The wavelength of a wave
changes in different mediums. When wavelength changes the speed of the wave
changes, when the speed of the wave changes the direction changes.

○ What is diffraction [2] ?

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes through a narrow gap causing the wave
to spread out. Diffraction only happens when the gap is smaller than the
wavelength of the wave.

○ What is a ripple tank used for [4] ?

To understand reflection at a place surface, refraction due to change in speed

caused by change in depth, diffraction due to a gap, diffraction due to an edge.