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Wave Energy
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Mind-Map Outline of Topic

This topic belongs to Physics, the study of energy, force and motion.
In this topic you will study how energy moves in the form of waves,
then go on to study one very important wave type... light.
Crests, Troughs
& Amplitude
Wave
Medium
The Wave
Equation
Waves Carry
Energy
Wavelength,
Frequency
& Speed
Wave Energy
Electromagnetic
Waves
Light
Waves
Properties
& Uses
The
Eye
Colour
Optical
Lenses
Absorption,
Reflection,
Refraction
Years 9-10 Topic 12 Wave Energy

copyright 2008 keep it simple science

Site Licence Conditions only
Make your own Mind-Map TITLE PAGE.

Cut out the boxes. Sort them into an appropriate lay-out on a page of your
workbook, then glue them down. Add connecting arrows and colour in.
The Wave
Equation
Wave Energy
Waves Carry
Energy
Electromagnetic
Waves
Light
Waves
Wave
Medium
Absorption,
Reflection,
Refraction
Wavelength,
Frequency
& Speed
Properties
& Uses
The
Eye
Optical
Lenses
Crests, Troughs
& Amplitude
Colour
Make your own Mind-Map TITLE PAGE.

Cut out the boxes. Sort them into an appropriate lay-out on a page of your
workbook, then glue them down. Add connecting arrows and colour in.
The Wave
Equation
Wave Energy
Waves Carry
Energy
Electromagnetic
Waves
Light
Waves
Wave
Medium
Absorption,
Reflection,
Refraction
Wavelength,
Frequency
& Speed
The
Eye
Optical
Lenses
Crests, Troughs
& Amplitude

Properties
& Uses
Colour

What is Energy? (Revision)
Energy is what causes things to change.

There are many different types of energy. Here are just a few:
Type of Energy
Kinetic (in moving objects)
Potential (stored)
Heat
Light
Sound
Electrical Energy
Radio Waves
Changes Caused by this Energy

Change in position because object is moving.
Only causes changes when released in another form.
Change in temperature. e.g. a stove causes food to get hot.
Nerve changes in your eye which allow you to see things,
or chemical changes in the film in a camera.
Vibrations in your ear which allow you to hear.
Can cause a light bulb to glow and produce light,
or a stove element to get hot and produce heat.
Can cause electrical vibrations in an antenna.
This allows reception of mobile phone, radio & TV programs.
Waves Carry Energy

Many types of energy are carried as waves.
Waves carry energy from one place to another.
Only the energy moves... substances do NOT move from one place to another.
(A substance might vibrate as energy moves through, but it doesnt go anywhere.)
Examples of Energy Carried as Waves

Light & Sound Waves
Water Waves
When you see anything you are

detecting light waves carrying energy to
your eyes. Things that glow are emitting
(giving out) light waves. Most things
that you see are not emitting light, but
reflecting it to your eyes.
The energy of the wind blowing across

the oceans creates water waves.
When you hear anything, you are

detecting sound waves.
Water waves can carry the energy for
thousands of kilometres across an
ocean, until the waves break as they
approach a coastline.
In a lightning storm,
the electrical
discharge emits light
waves... so you see
the lightning flash. It
also creates sound
waves... so you hear
the thunder. The sound
waves travel more
slowly that the light,
so you hear the
thunder after you see
the lightning.
Before they break, the water doesnt

actually go anywhere. The water moves
up and down as huge amounts of
energy flow past, but the water itself
goes nowhere.
Once the wave breaks, the water itself
surges forward. Now you can catch it,
and now its energy batters the coast
causing erosion and movement of sand.
5

Some Waves Need a Medium

Some waves can only travel through substances.
The substance vibrates as the wave energy passes through.
The substance is called the medium for the wave.
Without a medium, the wave cannot exist, and the energy cannot move.
Sound Needs a Medium

Your teacher might demonstrate this in
class.
When the bell-jar is filled with air, you can

clearly hear the bell ringing.
Sealed, glass bell-jjar

with electric bell or
buzzer inside.
When most of the air is pumped out, you can

barely hear it, but you can see that it is still
ringing.
Air can be
pumped out by a
vacuum pump, or
allowed back in
through a valve.
Sound cannot travel in a vacuum.

It must have a medium.
Sound waves not only travel in air, but can
move through water or solids as well.
Water waves in the ocean need the water as a medium.

The shock waves of an earthquake need solid rock as their medium.
Some Waves Can Travel Through Vacuum

Not all waves need a medium to travel through.
Electromagnetic Waves
The Speed of Light
Light waves can (obviously) travel

through empty space from the Sun to
Earth.
Light waves travel at the amazing speed

of 300,000 kilometres per second.
Thats just over 3
seconds to travel
1 million km.
Light does not need a

medium to travel
through.
Light covers the

distance from Sun to
Earth (150,000,000km) in
about 8 minutes. Our
fastest space vehicles
would take about 2
years to travel that far.
Light can travel through

some substances (such
as air, water & glass),
but it actually travels
best through a vacuum.
Light is an electromagnetic (EM) wave.
The energy is transmitted by the
vibration of electric and magnetic fields.
We have reason to believe that nothing can

ever travel faster than the speed of light.
There is a whole family of other EM

waves which you will study later in this
topic.
We should call it the Speed of EM

Waves because all EM waves travel at
this same speed.


Science Rejects Theories That Dont Work

To the scientists of the 18th and 19th centuries it seemed obvious that light waves
must travel through something... there must be a medium for light waves.
All other types of waves which had been studied (e.g. sound & water waves)
needed a medium and could not travel in a vacuum.
The Michelson-Morley Experiment
The Theory of the Aether

The aether was thought to be a fluid
which totally filled the Universe. It had
no mass and did not interact with solid
objects. For example, it had no effect on
the planets moving through space.
This famous experiment in 1887

attempted to measure the interference
patterns which theoretically should
have occurred under certain conditions,
as light travelled in the aether.
The only property of the aether was that

it allowed light waves to be propagated
through space.
The expected interference patterns did

not occur. The experiment was repeated
many times, with greater precision each
time. Same result... no aether effects.
In the second half of the 19th century

the existence of the whole family of
electromagnetic (EM) waves was
discovered. Light was just one type of a
whole spectrum of EM waves travelling
in the aether.
Arguments went back-and-forth for 20 years,

but it was finally settled by Albert Einstein in
1905. His Theory of Relativity gave a new way to
think about light and how it travelled in space.
There was no longer any need for an aether.
Scientists began experimenting

prove that the aether really existed.
Soon, experiments to test Relativity gave clear,

positive results and the aether was quietly
forgotten. This is how Science works.
to
Scientific Developments Lead to New Technologies

In the mid-19th century, scientists were not quite sure what light was. Earlier
theories that light was a stream of particles had been discounted, so it was
generally agreed that light was a wave. But what kind?
Radio Waves were discovered and
James Clerk Maxwell (Scottish, 1831-79)
studied in 1880, and by 1895 the first

radio communications began. By the
1930s the first pictures were
transmitted by radio signal (television)
and radar was being developed.
In 1864, Maxwell published his theory of

Electromagnetic (EM) Waves.
He showed mathematically how a wave
could be made of fluctuating electric
and magnetic fields and how it would
spread out at the
speed of light.
In World War II, radar developed

and extended into the
Microwave band. From there we
get modern communication
networks (& microwave ovens).
His equations also

suggested that there
should be a whole
spectrum of EM waves at
other wavelengths and
frequencies. The race was
on to find them!
In 1895, Wilhelm Rontgen

discovered X-Rays and by the
early 20th century they were used
for medical imaging.
Maxwells new scientific theories led directly to many new

technologies which are vital in todays society.

How Energy is Carried by a Wave

To understand how a wave carries energy it is best to start
with something familiar, such as waves in water.
Water Waves
You cannot surf

unbroken swells
because the wave
will not push you
forward. You only
float up and down
on the crests and
troughs.
If you look at unbroken swell waves in

water, you will see that they are made up
of a series of crests and troughs which
move across the surface.
If you watch a boat as ocean swells go
by, you will see that it simply moves up
and down... it is not pushed along.
Only the energy travels.

The water only oscillates up and down.
Crest
Floating boat moves up and down

as waves go past.
Energy travels
across surface
Trough
When the wave approaches shore it

begins to break.
Now the water
begins to tumble
forward and you
can catch it.
However, a broken
wave is NOT a
wave in the
scientific sense.
Wave Amplitude
To a surfer, how big the surf waves are is a very important thing.
In scientific terms, this is the wave amplitude.
Crest
This distance is the

wave amplitude
Surfers tend to measure the

height of a wave as the
vertical distance from trough
up to crest.
Water surface if there
were no waves
Notice that amplitude is

measured from the flat water
surface up to the crest.
Trough
Significance of Wave Amplitude

Sound Wave, the amplitude In a Light Wave,
the amplitude
determines the brightness of the light.
In a
determines how loud the sound is... its
volume.
When you see 2 objects, but one is

brighter than the other, the difference is
the amplitude of the light waves which
are entering your eye.
When you turn up the volume, you are

increasing the amplitude of the sound
waves that you are hearing.

Worksheet 1
Waves Carry Energy
Student Name.............................................
Light waves are just one type of a
family of waves called j).................... ................... waves. All of these travel at
a speed of k)............................... km/hour.
Fill in the blank spaces.

Waves carry a)......................... from one
place to another.
Waves of any kind have certain features

in common. A wave moves as a series of
l)....................
(high
points)
and
m)........................... (low points). In a
water wave, the water itself simply
moves n)............................. as the energy
flows by.
Some waves require a substance, or

b)............................., to travel through. As
the wave moves, the particles in the
substance c).............................., but they
do not d)................................ An example
is e)............................ waves which can
travel in air, water or solids, but cannot
travel through a f).............................
The o).................................. of a wave is

the distance from the average position
to a crest or trough. In a sound wave this
determines the p)........................... of the
sound. With light waves this determines
the q)................................... of the light.
Other types of energy do not need a

g)........................... to travel in. For
example, h)........................... waves can
travel through a vacuum. They also
travel through substances such as air,
i)...................... or .............................
Worksheet 2
Wave Characteristics
Student Name.............................................
2.
A cork is floating on a calm pond. Then
someone drops a rock in the water so
that a series of ripple waves move
across the surface.
Describe the movement of the cork as
the waves reach it and go past.
1.
The diagrams show 3 different waves
drawn to the same scale.
P
3.
An astronaut on the Moon watches as
his partner hits a rock with a hammer.
Explain why he can see it happen, but
cannot hear the sound of it.
a) On wave P label the position of a

crest and a trough.
b) On wave Q draw an arrow to show the
distance you would measure for the
amplitude of the wave.
c) If these waves represent light waves,
which one is the least bright?
4.
Suggest how the astronaut can talk to
his partner on the Moon.

Wavelength and Frequency

These 2 measurements are very important to describe different waves.
)
Wavelength (
Frequency (f)
The wavelength is a measure of the

distance from one wave crest to the next.
Frequency measures how many waves

go past per second. Symbol f is used.
wavelength
It is very difficult to visualise this with a

diagram.
Your
teacher
might
demonstrate frequency with a slinky
spring. (see below)
wavelength
The unit of measurement is called the

hertz (Hz) named after a great German
scientist of the 19th century.
Wavelength can also be measured from

one trough to the next.
) is often
The Greek letter lambda (
used as the symbol for wavelength.
A frequency of 10Hz means that 10

complete waves are going past each
second.
Since wavelength is a distance, it can be

measured in cm, metres, km, etc.
Some Actual Frequencies

Ocean waves can have very low
frequencies of only 0.1Hz, or less. This
means that only 1/10 of a wave passes in
1 second. Another way to think of this,
is that it takes 10 seconds (or more) for
one complete wave to go by.
Some Actual Wavelengths

Some radio waves have a wavelength of
several kilometres. Light waves have
wavelengths less than 1/1,000 of 1mm.
Ocean waves typically have wavelengths
of between 20m to 100m. Ripples in a
pond have wavelengths of a few cm.
Sound waves have frequencies of 100s

and 1,000s of Hz.
Sound waves are typically a few cm in

wavelength.
Light waves have frequencies measured

in billions of Hz.
The Relationship of Wavelength & Frequency
amplitude
Shake the
spring in
a regular
way
If you shake one end of a slinky spring up and down,

you can set up a wave pattern.
wavelength
Wave
pattern in
spring
Now shake it faster, and faster. You are increasing the frequency.
Notice that the wavelength gets less as frequency gets higher.
Shake
faster
wavelength
wavelength
Even
faster
Amplitude
stays the
same

10

Speed, Wavelength & Frequency

Speed means how fast something moves.
The speed of any wave depends on both its wavelength and frequency.
Example Calculation
A series of water waves measure 80cm
(0.80m) from crest to crest. Each
second, 2.5 complete waves go past.
What is the speed of the waves?
The Wave Equation

There is a simple, mathematical
relationship between the wavelength,
the frequency and the speed of any
wave.
Solution
Wavelength = 0.80m. Frequency = 2.5Hz.
SPEED = WAVELENGTH x FREQUENCY
v=xf
v=xf
= 0.80 x 2.5
= 2.0
The speed of the waves is 2.0 m/s.
v = velocity (speed), measured in

metres per second (m/s).
= wavelength, measured in metres (m).
is the Greek letter lambda)
(
Note: If you used = 80cm, the answer would be

200 cm/s. This is exactly the same, but in
different units. You should try to use metres,
and m/s whenever possible.
f = frequency, measured in hertz (Hz).
Student Name.............................................
Worksheet 3
Using the Wave Equation
4. A wave in a slinky spring measures

40cm (0.4m) from crest to crest. The
1. A sound wave with a frequency of spring is being shaken up and down 3
times per second.
660Hz has a wavelength of 0.5m.
How fast does the wave travel?
What is the speed of the wave?
v=xf
= ............ x ............
= ....................
The speed of the wave is ................. m/s.
5. A sound wave has a frequency
2. Another sound wave with a frequency 1,000Hz. It is travelling in air at a speed
of 3,300Hz has a wavelength of 10cm of 330 m/s.
(0.1m).
What is its wavelength?
v=xf
= ............ x ............
= ....................
3. A water wave has a wavelength of 50m.
A complete wave takes 20sec. to go by, so
its frequency is 0.05Hz.
6. Sound travels much faster in water

than in air... 1,500 m/s. What wavelength
would the 1,000Hz sound wave have in
water?
v=xf
= ............ x ............
= ....................
11

Electromagnetic (EM) Waves

The EM waves are a family of waves which all travel at the speed of light.
They have many important properties and uses.
Properties & Uses
Type of Wave
Radio
Long Wavelength,
Low Frequency
Used for transmitting radio

and TV programs & mobile
phones.
Also, communication for
planes, ships, military, etc.
Microwaves of some frequencies

can cause food to get hot.
They are used in a microwave oven.
Other frequencies are used in
communications, radar and GPS.
Light
Ultra-Violet
Frequency getting higher
Infra-Red
Wavelength getting shorter
Microwaves
Infra-Red is heat radiation. Although we cannot

see it, we can feel it on our skin.
Light can be detected by
our eyes, so to us it is the
most important member of
the EM family.
Photographic film and the
light detectors in digital
cameras are also sensitive
to light radiation.
Ultra-Violet (UV) rays are dangerous to living
things. UV causes sunburn and can cause skin
cancers. Luckily, most of the UV coming from the
Sun is blocked by the ozone layer, high up in the
atmosphere.
X-Rays are very penetrating and
can go straight through many
things. This is why they are
used for medical imaging of
bones, and for detecting
weapons, etc in airline luggage.
Excessive doses of X-rays can
be very dangerous to people.
X-Rays
Gamma Rays
Gamma Rays are even more
Short Wavelength, penetrating than X-rays.

High Frequency They are given off by radio-
Although we describe these as different types of

wave, they actually form a continuous
spectrum. The only difference from one type
to another is the frequency and wavelength.
active substances. They can

cause cancer, but can also
kill cancer cells. They are
used in radiation treatment
of cancer patients.
12

Worksheet 4
The Wave Equation
(More Difficult Problems)
Student Name.............................................
4.
A typical infra-red wave has a
wavelength of just 1/100 mm (= 1x10-5m).
What is the frequency of this wave?
These problems require the use of a scientific

calculator. You must be familiar with its
exponential function, and be able to work
with scientific notation for very large,
and very small numbers.
V = x f,
1.
A radio wave has a frequency of 50kHz
(= 50,000 Hz) and wavelength of 6km.
a) Write the frequency value
in scientific (or standard)
notation.
.........................
b) Convert the wavelength to
metres, and write it in
standard notation.
.........................
c) Use the Wave Equation to calculate
the speed of the wave (in m/s).
so f = V /
Write the answer in standard notation, then

again in normal decimal notation.
5.
A wave of visible light has a frequency
of 6x1014 Hz.
Find the wavelength (in m).
V = x f = ...................... x.......................
= ................................... m/s
(answer in standard notation)
6.
A wave of UV radiation has a wavelength
of 5x10-9 m. Find its frequency.
2.
A short wave radio signal has a
wavelength of only 80 cm. (= 0.8 m). Its
frequency is 3.75x108 Hz.
Calculate its speed.
7.
What is the frequency of an X-ray if its
wavelength is 3x10-11 m?
Remember, ALL EM waves travel

at 3.0x108 m/s (= 300,000 km/sec)
3.
Microwaves used in cooking have a
frequency of 2.5x109 Hz.
What is their wavelength?
V = x f,
8.
What is the wavelength of gamma
radiation if its frequency is 5x1021 Hz?
so = V / f
(answer in metres, and in cm)

13

Worksheet 5
EM Waves
Student Name.............................................

All a)....................................... (EM) waves
travel at the same speed: the speed of
light which is b)....................... km/sec.
They do not need a c)........................ and
can travel through a vacuum.
The next member of the EM family is

l)........................... which is the only one
that we can m).......................
n).......................................... radiation can
cause sunburn and skin cancer. Luckily,
most of it is blocked by the o)..................
layer of the atmosphere.
The EM waves with the longest

wavelength (and d)............................
frequency) are e)........................ waves.
These are used to transmit signals for
f)....................... and .................... as well
as mobile phones.
p).................. are used for medical

imaging because they can q)...................
................. many things including you.
Microwaves have g).........................

wavelength and h)............................
frequency. They are also used in
communication as well as i)....................
r).................. rays are even more

penetrating. They are given off by
s)...................................... substances.
These waves have the t)...........................
wavelength and u)..............................
frequency of all the EM waves.
j).................................. is heat radiation.

we cannot see it, but can feel it on our
k)...........................
Worksheet 6
EM Waves Questions
Student Name.............................................
4.
Night-vision cameras use infra-red
detectors to allow photograhs of people
in pitch dark conditions.
Explain why a person (or other animal)
can be seen by the camera.
1.
Which 2 types of EM waves are used in
a lot of our communications?
............................ and ...............................
2.
Originally, the science of Astronomy
was done with light waves... by eye and
telescope. Today, modern astronomers
use ALL the types of EM waves.
What feature of all EM waves make them
useful for studying outer space?
5. a)
Some EM waves are quite dangerous to
people. Name the three most dangerous.
.................. and .............. and ......................
b) Are these the high, or low frequency
members of the EM family?
3. At what speed do all EM waves travel?

14

Light Waves & Colour

Visible light is just a very narrow section of the entire spectrum of EM waves.
Light includes a range of frequencies and wavelengths.
We see the different frequency light waves as different colours.
Colours of the Rainbow

What we call white light is really a
mixture of different light waves of
different frequency.
Are Colours Real?

Each frequency of light is detected
separately in our eye and different
signals are sent to the brain.
If white light (e.g. a beam of sunlight) is

passed through a glass prism, the
different frequencies are separated to
reveal the spectrum of white light.
It is in the brain that colours are seen.

Colour really exists only as the way
your brain interprets the information
from the eye regarding the different
frequencies of light.
white light is a
mixture of frequencies.
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Violet
different frequencies spread

out to form a spectrum
of colours.
The light waves themselves are not

coloured.
They
are
different
wavelengths and are vibrating at
different rates (different frequencies).
Why Things Look Coloured

So why does one thing appear red, and another looks blue?
It is all about which frequencies of light bounce off the objects we look at.
Red Object Viewed in White Light
White Object Viewed in White Light
The brain
interprets
this as
white.
al
l
A white object
reflects all the
frequencies
equally.
White light
contains
all the
fequencies.
All
frequencies
of light reach
the eye.
A red object
reflects
only the red
frequency.
Others are
absorbed.
white
Only the red

frequency of
light reaches
the eye.
re
d
White light
contains
all the
fequencies.
The brain
interprets
this as red.
red
You may be able to experiment with these situations using a ray-box lamp,
coloured filters and coloured objects, in a darkened room.
Red Object Viewed in Blue Light
Blue Object Viewed in White Light

White light
contains
all the
fequencies.
bl
ue
White light
The brain
interprets
this as
blue.
A red object
reflects only the
red frequency,
so blue is
absorbed.
blue

15
A blue filter
lets the blue
frequency
through, but
blocks all
others.
ue
bl
A blue object
reflects only
the blue
frequency.
Others are
absorbed.
Only the blue

frequency of
light reaches
the eye.
No light is
reflected
from this
object.
The brain
interprets
this as
black.
red

Absorption, Reflection & Refraction

When a light wave strikes any substance, any of 3 things can happen.
Absorption
Reflection
Refraction
The energy of the wave

can be absorbed by the
substance.
This means to bounce off.
This occurs when the

light penetrates into a
transparent substance,
such as glass or water.
Where does the energy go?

It causes some of the
particles in the substance to
vibrate, so it has become
heat energy.
Even substances which are
transparent, like glass or
water, absorb some light.
In perfectly clear water, light
can only penetrate about
50m. By 100m down in the
ocean it is totally dark.
Light always reflects at

the same angle at which it
hits the reflecting surface.
Shiny,
reflecting
surface
Incoming
light wave
The light waves changes

their speed and can
change direction.
Beam
of
light
Glass
Block
Reflected
light wave
More about reflection

below.
Refraction will be
covered in more detail
later in this topic.
Reflection of Light
All waves can reflect, or bounce off things. The reflection of sound waves causes echoes.
Reflection of radio or microwaves allows radar to work. Reflection of light allows us to see things.
Shiny & Dull
Mirrors
Surfaces that are very smooth (at the

microscopic level) cause parallel beams
of light to bounce off uniformly. This
appears shiny.
Mirrors are the ultimate in shiny. Their

surface is so smooth that light reflects
off almost perfectly.
If the mirror is flat
(a plane mirror) it
forms a perfect,
back-to-front
reflected image.
Surfaces that are rougher cause light

waves to bounce off in all directions
and scatter everywhere. Since only part
of the light comes to your eye, the
surface appears non-shiny, or dull.
Parallel waves in a
beam of light
Parallel
waves
in a
beam
of light
Curved mirrors can

magnify the image,
or make it smaller.
Waves reflect uniformly.

Surface appears shiny.
Smooth surface
If the curve of
the mirror is
more
complicated it
can form
distorted,
crazy images.
Light scatters in all

directions.
Surface appears dull.
Rough surface
(microscopically)

16

Worksheet 7
Colour
Student Name.............................................
4. Many fish are silver in colour
because they are very shiny, and reflect
all frequencies very well. Many fish are
not silver, but red when viewed in air.
1. List (in order) the colours of the

spectrum of white light.
..............., .................., ................, ..............
In the ocean, below a depth of about 10

metres, only blue & violet light
penetrates. (All the red, orange, etc is
absorbed by the water.)
a) At this depth, what colour does a
silver fish appear to be?
Explain.
................., ................... and .....................

2. What colour do we see if all the
frequencies of visible light enter our
eye?
3. a) Describe what happens to the
various frequencies when white light
falls on a green object.
b) What colour would a red fish

appear to be?
c) Explain how being bright red (in air)
might help a fish hide at 10m depth.
b) Which frequency(-ies) reach our eye?

c) What colour do we see the object to
be?
Worksheet 8
Colour & Reflection
Student Name.............................................
Our brains interpret the different

a)................................ of light waves as
different b)........................... A mixture of
all the colours is seen as c) ..................
it can be h)............................ by the

substance, or i).............................. off the
surface, or it can penetrate into the
substance and be j)..............................
If white light falls on an object that

reflects the yellow frequency, but
absorbs all others, we would see it as
d)............................... If we looked at the
same object under blue light (in a
darkened room) it would appear
e)................... because all the f).................
light falling on it is being g).....................
When it is absorbed, the energy makes

the particles k)........................... more, so
it has become l).................... energy.
If it reflects, it will bounce off at the
same m)....................... as which it hit.
Flat surfaces which reflect all the waves
uniformly appear to be n)..................... If
the surface is rough at a microscopic
level, the light waves bounce off in
o)......................................,
and
are
scattered. This appears p) ..................
When light strikes any substance, there

are 3 things that can happen:

17

Refraction of Light
Refraction can occur to all waves, but is especially important with light.
Refraction occurs when waves enter a new medium,
such as light passing from air into glass or water.
Examples of Light Refraction

Imagine spear-fishing from above the
water surface. You look down into the
clear water, and there is dinner. You
throw the spear with perfect accuracy...
and you miss!
Just look at this spoon standing in a

cup of tea. It seems to be broken at the
water surface. In fact, the spoon is not
broken, and is perfectly straight.
We see the top
of the spoon by
light rays that
travel through
air to our eyes.
You are a victim of refraction!

Light rays change direction as
they pass from water into air.
This makes it look as if the fish
is slightly further away.
AIM LOW!
However, light
from the bottom
of the spoon
travels through
water, then
glass, then air to our eyes.
Light rays from fish refract

at the water surface.
Image
of fish.
Actual
fish.
As light rays travel from one medium

into the next, they change direction
slightly; they are refracted.
You see the fish because of light

reflecting from it, to your eyes.
However, as the light waves passed
from water into air, they were refracted
and changed direction slightly.
Refraction causes the image of the bottom

of the spoon to be offset from the image of
the top of it... it looks broken.
This caused the image of the fish to be

moved a bit. Your spear hit a false
image.
Experiments with Refraction

You can easily investigate refraction of light with a ray-box kit.
The photograph shows
experimental investigation.
typical
Things To Investigate
Rotate the plastic block so the light
beams strike it at different angles.
Do the beams always change direction?
You can see that the light beams change

direction as they enter the block of clear
plastic, and again (opposite direction)
as they come back into air.
Ray-b
box lamp
Try different shapes of plastic blocks.

(curved, triangular, etc)
Light Gate allows 3 parallel

beams of light out
Clear plastic
block

Look for evidence that when the beam

hits the surface:
some light reflects off it.
some enters and is refracted.
some is absorbed by the plastic.
Work on a flat
sheet of white
paper in a
darkened
room.
18

Optical Lenses
(Optical = to do with seeing things)

We use many optical devices to help us see things better.
Spectacles and contact lenses correct peoples vision. Microscopes magnify tiny
objects, while telescopes make distant objects look closer. Cameras and projectors
focus images onto film or onto a screen for viewing.
All of these rely on curved lenses which refract light in special ways.
Convex Lenses
Concave Lenses
If you look through a convex lens at

close-up things (e.g. the writing on a
page) you will quickly find out that a
convex lens is a magnifying glass.
(They go in, in the middle, like a cave)

Using a ray-box kit, you can see that a
concave lens does NOT refract light to a
focus, but spreads the beams apart.
Concave Lens
Using a ray-box kit, you can see what a

convex lens does to parallel beams of
light, by refraction.
Convex Lens
seen edge on
Parallel beams
of light
Only a convex lens can focus an image

onto a screen or film, so they are the
main lenses in cameras, projectors, etc.
Focus,
or Focal Point
Focusing an Image
With a Convex Lens
You might try this activity.
Try again with a concave lens...
it will not work.
Images can only be focused on a
screen by convex lenses.
In a darkened room, hold a convex lens in front of a

paper screen. Move lens or paper back-a
and-fforth to
focus the image of a distant, lit candle onto the screen.
Upsidedown image
of candle
forms on
paper screen
Light rays from a

candle placed several
metres away
How the Eye Works

Our eyes are optical devices. Inside the eye a convex lens focuses an image on
light sensitive cells in the retina. From there, nerve messages are sent to the brain.
Iris is the colour of the eye.
It is a ring of muscle which can
open or close the hole in the
middle... the Pupil.
This controls the amount of light
entering the eye.
The eyeball is filled with a clear

jelly-lliquid. This keeps the eyes
shape, and lets light through.
Retina
is sensitive to
light, and sends
off nerve
messages.
Light Rays
Lens
is transparent & flexible. It refracts

light to focus an image on the retina.
The shape of the lens changes according to
the distance of the object being viewed.
Optic Nerve
Carries nerve signals from

Retina to brain.
19

Worksheet 9
Refraction & Lenses
Student Name.............................................
This type of lens can also act as a

i) ....................................... glass to
make things look bigger. Thats why
they are used in j)........................... to
make small things appear larger, and in
k)............................ to make distant
objects look closer.
Refraction occurs when a wave enters a

new a)............................., such as when
light goes from air into b)........................
Refraction can cause waves to
c)............................................... slightly.
This can cause the image of things to be
d)......................... slightly, when viewed
through glass or e)........................
A l)............................. lens is curved the

opposite way so it is m)...........................
in the middle. This type will not
n).................. light rays and cannot
project an image.
A f)......................... lens is made of

curved glass which is thicker in the
middle. It refracts rays of light so that
they all meet at a g)....................... point.
This type of lens can h).............................
an image onto a screen, as in a
projector.
Worksheet 10
Reflection & Refraction
The eye is an o)............................ device

containing a p)......................... lens. The
lens focuses light onto light-sensitive
cells in the q)............................ This
sends r).................... messages to the
s)............................, where we actually
see things.
Student Name.............................................
3. In the situation shown in Q2, what
else may have happened to some of the
light in the beam?
1. The diagram shows a flat mirror.

P,Q&R are 3 light rays striking the mirror.
Use a ruler to sketch the path of each
reflected ray.
4. Complete these diagrams to show the

path of the light rays that pass through
these 2 lenses.
P
R
Also name the type of lens in each case.
2. This diagram shows

a beam of light striking
a block of glass. As it
hits the glass some of
the beam reflects and
some refracts.
Sketch and label
clearly the 2 parts
of the beam.

glass
....................
....................... lens
20

Topic Test
Wave Energy
Student Name............................................. Score =
5. (5 marks)
Match each description to an item from
the list. To answer, write the letter (A,B,C,
etc) of the list item beside the
description.
Answer all questions

in the spaces provided.
1. (5 marks)
True of False?
a) Light and sound waves can
both travel through a vacuum.
b) The water only moves up &
down as a water wave passes.
c) Amplitude is measured from
trough up to crest.
d) The highest frequency EM
waves are radio waves.
e) A red object viewed in red
light would appear red.
/22
T or F
Description
......
......
......
......
......
2. (4 marks)
The wavelength of a wave is the distance
a)...................................................................
The frequency is a measure of how
many b).......................................... per sec.
The unit of frequency is the c)...................
For any type of wave, if the wavelength
gets shorter, the frequency gets
d)...........................
matches with
List Item
a) The substance that a wave

travels through.
.............
b) Shortest wavelength EM
wave.
.............
c) What lenses do to light

rays.
.............
d) EM wave used to cook.
.............
e) Lens that can focus light.
.............
List Items
A. refraction
B. medium
C. concave
Not all will be used.

Some may be used more than once.
D. gamma rays
E. convex
F. microwave
6. (3 marks)
This diagram shows a ray of light striking
a flat mirror at a 45o angle. There are 2
lenses nearby, exactly as shown.
3. (3 marks)
Small water waves in a lake have a
wavelength of 1.5m. Their frequency is
0.5Hz. What is their speed?
Shown full working, and units for answer.
Use a ruler to construct the path taken by

the light ray.
4. (2 marks)
Mark clearly on this wave diagram the
measurements of amplitude and wavelength.

21

Worksheet 4
Answer Section
Worksheet 1
a) energy
c) oscillate / move
d) go anywhere
f) vacuum
h) light
j) electromagnetic
l) crests
n) up & down
p) volume
1. a) 50,000 = 5x104 Hz
b) 6 km = 6,000 m = 6x103 m
c)
v = x f = 6x103 x 5x104
= 3x108 m/s
b) medium
up & down
e) sound
g) medium
i) glass or water
k) 300,000 km/hr
m) troughs
o) amplitude
q) brightness
Worksheet 2
2.
v = x f = 0.8 x 3.75x108
= 3x108 m/s
3.
V = x f,
so = V / f = 3x108 / 2.5x109
= 0.12 m (= 12 cm)
4.
V = x f,
so f = V / = 3x108 / 1x10-5
= 3x1013 Hz
= 30,000,000,000,000 Hz
5.
V = x f,
so = V / f = 3x108 / 6x1014
= 5x10-7 m
6.
V = x f,
so f = V / = 3x108 / 5x10-9
= 6x1016 Hz
7.
V = x f,
so f = V / = 3x108 / 3x10-11
= 1x1019 Hz
8.
V = x f,
so = V / f = 3x108 / 5x1021
= 6x10-14 m
1.
(a) Crest
P
Trough
Q
(b)
(c) wave R (smallest amplitude)
2. The cork moves up and down only.
3. Light waves can travel through a
vacuum, but sound waves cannot. (No air
on the Moon... vacuum.)
4. By radio, which is an EM wave and can
travel through a vacuum.
Worksheet 3
1.
v = x f = 0.5 x 660 = 330 m/s
2.
v = x f = 0.1 x 3,300 = 330 m/s
3.
v = x f = 50 x 0.05 = 2.5 m/s
4.
v = x f = 0.4 x 3 = 1.2 m/s
5.
v=xf
so = V/f = 330/1,000 = 0.33 m
6.
v=xf
so = V/f = 1,500/1,000 = 1.5 m

Worksheet 5
a) electromagnetic
b) 300,000 km/s
c) medium
d) lowest
e) radio
f) radio & TV
g) shorter
h) higher
i) cooking or GPS or radar
j) Infra-red
k) skin
l) light
m) see
n) Ultra-violet
o) ozone
p) X-rays
q) penetrate through
r) Gamma
s) radio-active
t) shortest
u) highest
22

Worksheet 6
Worksheet 9
1. radio & microwaves

2. They can all travel through the vacuum
of space, carrying information about the
Universe.
3. Speed of light = 3x108m/s =300,000km/s
4. Our body heat gives off infra-red waves
which are detected by the camera.
5. a) UV & X-ray & gamma rays
b) high frequency
a) medium
b) glass / water
c) change direction
d) offset / shifted e) water
f) convex
g) focal
h) project
i) magnifying
j) microscopes
k) telescopes
l) concave
m) thinner
n) focus
o) optical
p) convex
q) retina
r) nerve
s) brain
Worksheet 7
Worksheet 10
1. radio, microwaves, infra-red, light,

ultra-violet, X-ray, gamma
2. white
3. a) The green light frequency is
reflected, but all others are absorbed.
b) Green frequency only.
c) Green.
4. a) Silver fish would appear to be
blue/violet because those are the only
frequencies of light in the water. They will
reflect off the fish to our eyes.
b) Black.
The fish appears red at the surface
because only red frequency reflects off it.
Blue & violet frequencies would be
absorbed.
c) Looking black, it could hide in any
shadow (under weed or a rock) and not
be seen.
1.
P
R
Q
2.
3. Some was absorbed.

4.
Worksheet 8
a) frequencies
c) white
e) black
g) absorbed.
i) reflected
k) vibrate
m) angle
o) all directions
b) colours
d) yellow
f) yellow
h) absorbed
j) refracted
l) heat
n) shiny
p) dull

glass
Concave
23
Convex

6.
Topic Test
1. a) F
b) T
c) F
d) F
e) T
2.a) from crest to crest

b) waves go by per sec.
or, vibrations occur per sec.
c) hertz (Hz)
d) higher
3.
V = x f = 1.5 x 0.5 = 0.75 m/s
4.
ampl
5. a) B
d) F
wavelength
b) D
e) E

c) A
24


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Years 9-10 Topic 12 Wave Energy

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What is Energy? (Revision)

Energy is what causes things to change.

Changes Caused by this Energy

Waves Carry Energy

Examples of Energy Carried as Waves

When you see anything you are

The energy of the wind blowing across

When you hear anything, you are

Before they break, the water doesnt

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Some Waves Need a Medium

Sound Needs a Medium

When the bell-jar is filled with air, you can

Sealed, glass bell-jjar

When most of the air is pumped out, you can

Sound cannot travel in a vacuum.

Water waves in the ocean need the water as a medium.

Some Waves Can Travel Through Vacuum

The Speed of Light

Light waves can (obviously) travel

Light waves travel at the amazing speed

Light does not need a

Light covers the

Light can travel through

We have reason to believe that nothing can