understand the terms amplitude, frequency, period, speed and wavelength

be able to use the wave equation \(v = fλ\)

be able to describe longitudinal waves in terms of pressure variation and the displacement of molecules

be able to describe transverse waves

be able to draw and interpret graphs representing transverse and longitudinal waves including standing/stationary waves

CORE PRACTICAL 6: Determine the speed of sound in air using a 2-beam oscilloscope, signal generator, speaker and microphone.

know and understand what is meant by wavefront, coherence, pathdifference, superposition, interference and phase

be able to use the relationship between phase difference and path difference

know what is meant by a standing/stationary wave and understand how such a wave is formed, know how to identify nodes and antinodes

be able to use the equation for the speed of a transverse wave on a string
\(v = \sqrt{\dfrac{T}{μ}}\)

CORE PRACTICAL 7: Investigate the effects of length, tension and mass per unit length on the frequency of a vibrating string or wire.

be able to use the equation intensity of radiation \(I = \dfrac{P}{A}\)

know and understand that at the interface between medium 1 and medium 2
\(n_1\sin{θ_1} = n_2\sin{θ_2} \) where refractive index is \(n = \dfrac{c}{v}\)

be able to calculate critical angle using \(\sin{C} = \dfrac{1}{n} \)

be able to predict whether total internal reflection will occur at an interface

understand how to measure the refractive index of a solid material

understand the term focal length of converging and diverging lenses

be able to use ray diagrams to trace the path of light through a lens and locate the position of an image

be able to use the equation power of a lens \(P = \dfrac{1}{f}\)

understand that for thin lenses in combination \(P = P_1+P_2+P_3+...\)

know and understand the terms real image and virtual image

be able to use the equation \(\dfrac{1}{u} + \dfrac{1}{v} = \dfrac{1}{f}\) for a thin converging or diverging lens with the real is positive convention

know and understand that magnification = image height/object height and \(m = \dfrac{v}{u}\)

understand what is meant by plane polarisation

understand what is meant by diffraction and use Huygens’ construction to explain what happens to a wave when it meets a slit or an obstacle

be able to use \(nλ = d\sin{θ}\) for a diffraction grating

CORE PRACTICAL 8: Determine the wavelength of light from a laser or other light source using a diffraction grating.

understand how diffraction experiments provide evidence for the wave nature of electrons

be able to use the de Broglie equation \(λ = \dfrac{h}{p}\)

understand that waves can be transmitted and reflected at an interface between media

understand how a pulse-echo technique can provide information about the position of an object and how the amount of information obtained may be limited by the wavelength of the radiation or by the duration of pulses

understand how the behaviour of electromagnetic radiation can be described in terms of a wave model and a photon model, and how these models developed over time

be able to use the equation \(E = hf\), that relates the photon energy to the wave frequency

understand that the absorption of a photon can result in the emission of a photoelectron

understand the terms threshold frequencyand work function and be able to use the equation \(hf = φ + \dfrac{1}{2}mv^2_{\text{max}} \)

be able to use the electronvolt (eV) to express small energies

understand how the photoelectric effect provides evidence for the particle nature of electromagnetic radiation

understand atomic line spectra in terms of transitions between discrete energy levels and understand how to calculate the frequency of radiation that could be emitted or absorbed in a transition between energy levels.