PHYSICS REVISION

CHARACTERISTICS OF WAVES

Peak/
Crest

Troug
h

DEFINE
Amplitude - the amplitude of a wave is its maximum disturbance from its
undisturbed position
Wavelength - the wavelength of a wave is the distance between a point
on one wave and the same point on the next wave e.g. from one peak/
crest or trough to the next
Frequency - the frequency of a wave is the number of waves produced by
a source each second/ the number of waves that pass a certain point each
second. The unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz) but kilohertz (kHz),
megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz) are used when waves have very
high frequencies
WAVE SPEED = WAVELENGTH x FREQUENCY
SPEED = DISTANCE/ TIME

c = f

Sound travels about 330m/ s in air but this depends on air pressure and
temperature. Sound travels faster in liquids than in gases, and fastest in
solids e.g. sound waves in wood travel faster than in air.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
Radio Waves Microwave Infra Red Visible Light Ultra Violet X-Rays
Gamma Rays
Longest Wavelength, Lowest Frequency
Shortest Wavelength,
Highest Frequency
All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum. They
can also all transmit information and energy.
Thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted from the surface of
an object due to its temperature. If a surface is dark then is absorbs and
emits more radiation but if it is a light surface then it reflects more
radiation. The higher the temperature of an object the more radiation
there is emitted.

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Most solar radiation is on the visible part of the spectrum. The short
wavelength visible light passes through the glass of a greenhouse and a
lot of it is absorbed by things inside. This makes their temperature
increase and they therefore begin to emit more radiation. However, the
radiation they emit is usually infra-red because they are a lower
temperature than the sun. Infra-red has longer wavelengths making it
harder for it to pass through the glass and it is usually reflected or
absorbed by the glass. This means that some of the heat is trapped inside
the greenhouse increasing the temperature even more. Eventually, a
balance is reached when the temperature is high enough that the amount
of energy equals the amount of energy leaving. This is what is happening
to the Earth.

LONG-DISTANCE COMMUNICATION
Both microwaves and infra-red can be used for long distance
communication but in different forms:
Microwaves
o They travel in straight lines because they have a very short
wavelength
o This means that they stay in narrow, concentrated beams
o They do, however, need a clear line of sight so...
...microwave transmitters are tall and situated on
hills, ...
...they need repeater stations because of the curvature
of the Earth...
...and for very long-distance communication satellites
are needed
o Geosynchronous satellites orbit around the Earth at the same
rate it spins so it takes one orbit 24 hours to travel 36,000 km
o A special case of this is geostationary orbit where the satellite
orbits over the equator and so is always above the same point
on the Earths surface
Infra-Red

o Information can also be converted into infra-red and

transmitted by optical fibres

o Optical fibres thin rods of high quality glass that absorb very
little energy
o Light going in one end experiences repeated total internal
reflection until it reaches the other
o Optical fibres can carry more information than normal cables
than ordinary cables of the same thickness and are quicker
than satellites
o Their signals also do not weaken as much over long distances