Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can describe an electromagnetic wave as electric and magnetic fields oscillating in step, at right angles to each other. (Guide: “What is waving?”; Practice Q3)
- I can explain why EM waves are transverse and say which field gives the polarization direction. (Guide: “Transverse, so it can be polarized”; Practice Q6c)
- I can describe a plane wave and the orientation of its wavefronts. (Guide: “Plane waves and wavefronts”; Practice Q6b)
- I can explain why EM waves cross a vacuum but sound cannot. (Guide: “No medium needed”; Practice Q4)
- I can state that all EM waves travel at c in a vacuum, whatever their frequency. (Guide; Practice Q5c)
- I can explain what “light” means in its narrow and its wide sense. (Guide: “The electromagnetic spectrum”)
Calculation and skills
- I can use c = fλ with MHz, GHz and nm prefixes. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q2, Q5)
- I can use d = ct for travel times and echoes. (Guide: Worked example 3; Practice Q5c, Q7c)
- I can sketch E and B for a wave travelling along a given axis, and mark one wavelength. (Guide: Figure 1, Worked example 2; Practice Q6a)
- I can find the frequency and wavelength of light inside a material from its speed there. (Practice Q7a, Q7b)
Reasoning
- I can list the spectrum categories in order of wavelength and of frequency. (Guide: Figure 2; Practice Q1)
- I can list the visible colours in order and rank them by frequency. (Practice Q5d)
- I can explain why light entering glass does not change colour. (Practice Q7d)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 14.5, The Doppler Effect, or return to the course roadmap.