2.3. Waves and Particle Nature of Life

Edexcel IAL Physics A-level
Topic 2.3: Waves and Particle Nature of

Light
Notes
This work by PMT Education is licensed under https://bit.ly/pmt-cc

https://bit.ly/pmt-edu-cc CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
https://bit.ly/pmt-cc
https://bit.ly/pmt-edu https://bit.ly/pmt-cc
2.3 - Waves and Particle Nature of Light
2.3.33 - Definitions
Amplitude A wave’s maximum displacement from the equilibrium position.
Frequency (f) The number of complete oscillations passing through a point per second.
Period (T) The time taken for one full oscillation.
Speed (v) The distance travelled by the wave per unit time.
Wavelength (λ) The length of one whole oscillation (e.g. the distance between successive
peaks/troughs).
2.3.34 - Wave equation

The speed (v) of a wave is equal to the wave’s frequency multiplied by its wavelength.
v = fλ
2.3.35 - Longitudinal waves
In longitudinal waves, the oscillation of particles is parallel to the direction of energy transfer.
● These are made up of compressions and rarefactions and can’t travel in a vacuum.
● Sound is an example of a longitudinal wave, and they can be demonstrated by pushing a
slinky horizontally.
Stage Rarefaction Compression
Pressure Decreased Increased
Displacement of particles Neighbouring particles move Neighbouring particles move

away from each other towards a point
2.3.36 - Transverse waves
In transverse waves, the oscillations of particles (or fields) is at right angles to the direction of
energy transfer
-1
● All electromagnetic (EM) waves are transverse and travel at 3 x 108 ms in a vacuum.
● Transverse waves can be demonstrated by shaking a slinky vertically or through the
waves seen on a string, when it's attached to a signal generator.
2.3.37 - Graphs of transverse and longitudinal waves

There are two types of graphs which can be used to represent waves:
➔ Displacement-distance graphs - these show how the displacement of a particle varies
with the distance of wave travel and can be used to measure wavelength.
For a transverse wave, the displacement distance graph will look very similar to the
actual wave, whereas for a longitudinal wave the graph will look very different from the
wave.
➔ Displacement-time graphs - these show how the displacement of a particle varies with
time and can be used to measure the period of a wave.
A standing wave (explained further in 2.367) can be represented on a displacement-distance

graph as shown below:
Image source: LibreTexts, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US
2.3.39 - Further definitions

Phase The position of a certain point on a wave cycle. This can be measured in
radians, degrees or fractions of a cycle.
Phase How much a particle/wave lags behind another particle/wave. This can be
difference measured in radians, degrees or fractions of a cycle.
Path difference The difference in the distance travelled by two waves.
Superposition Where the displacements of two waves are combined as they pass each
other, the resultant displacement is the vector sum of each wave’s
displacement.
Coherence A coherent light source has the same frequency and wavelength and a
fixed phase difference.
Wavefront A wavefront is a surface which is used to represent the points of a wave
which have the same phase.
As an example of a wavefront, consider a rock being dropped into a pond, the peak of each
ripple formed can be considered as a wavefront. This is shown in the diagram below:
Image source: LibreTexts, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US
There are two types of interference that can occur during superposition and they are:
● Constructive interference - this occurs when two waves are in phase (explained
below) and so their displacements are added
● Destructive interference - this occurs when the waves are completely out of phase
(explained below) and so their displacements are subtracted
The image below shows the interference of two waves (which are pictured below the resultant
wave). On the left is constructive interference and on the right is destructive interference.
Image source: Haade,CC BY-SA 3.0, Image is recoloured
2.3.40 - Phase difference and path difference

Two waves are in phase if they are both at the same point of the wave cycle, meaning they
have the same frequency and wavelength (are coherent) and their phase difference is an
integer multiple of 360° (2π radians). The waves do not need to have the same amplitude,
only the same frequency and wavelength.
Two waves are completely out of phase when they have the same frequency and
wavelength (are coherent) and their phase difference is an odd integer multiple of 180° (π
radians).
The phase difference (in radians) of two waves with the same frequency and their path
differences are related as shown below:
λ
Δx = 2π Δϕ
Where Δx is the path difference, λ is the wavelength of the waves and ΔΦ is their phase difference.
Below is an example question where you have to use the above relation.
Two waves have a path difference of 6m and both have a wavelength of 2m, what is the phase
difference of these two waves?
Firstly, rearrange the above relation so that the phase difference is the subject.
Δx
Δϕ = 2π × λ
Then, substitute in the given values.

6
Δϕ = 2π × 2 = 6π
And so, their phase difference is 6π. As 6π is a multiple of 2π, the waves must be in phase.
2.3.41 - Stationary waves
A stationary wave (also known as a standing wave) is formed from the superposition of 2
progressive waves, travelling in opposite directions in the same plane, with the same
frequency, wavelength and amplitude.
No energy is transferred by a stationary wave.
Where the waves meet:

➔ In phase - constructive interference occurs so antinodes are formed, which are
regions of maximum displacement.
➔ Completely out of phase - destructive interference occurs and nodes are formed,
which are regions of no displacement.
A string fixed at one end, and fixed to a driving oscillator at the other gives a good example of
the formation of a stationary wave:
● A wave travelling down the string from the oscillator will be reflected at the fixed end of
the string, and travel back along the string causing superposition of the two waves.
Because the waves have the same wavelength, frequency and amplitude, a stationary
wave is formed. (Labelled combined wave on the diagram below).
The diagram below shows multiple possible standing waves on a displacement-distance graph.
The blue points indicate antinodes, while the red points indicate nodes.
Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0

2.3.42 - Speed of a transverse wave on a string
You can calculate the speed of a transverse wave on a string by using the formula below:
Where v is the speed, T is the tension in the string, and μ is the mass per unit length of the string (which
is constant).
2.3.44 - Intensity of radiation

Intensity is the power (energy transferred per unit time) per unit area, and can be calculated
using the equation below:
P
I = A
Where P is the power and A is the area.
2.3.45 - Refractive index and Snell’s law
A refractive index (n) is a property of a material which measures how much it slows down light
passing through it. It is calculated by dividing the speed of light in a vacuum (c) by the speed of
light in that substance (v).
c
n= v
A material with a higher refractive index can also be known as being more optically dense.
Refraction occurs when a wave enters a different medium, causing it to change direction, either
towards or away from the normal depending on the material’s refractive index.
Snell’s law is used for calculations involving the refraction of light:
n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2
➔ n1 is the refractive index of material 1,
➔ n2 is the refractive index of material 2,
➔ θ1 is the angle of incidence of the ray in material 1
➔ θ2 is the angle of refraction of the ray in material 2
Image source: Oleg Alexandrov,CC BY-SA 3.0

As the light moves across the boundary of the two materials, its speed changes, which causes
its direction to change.
In the example above, n2 is more optically dense than n1, therefore the ray of light slows down
and bends towards the normal. However, in the case where n2 is less optically dense than
n1 the ray of light will bend away from the normal.
2.3.46 - Critical angle

As the angle of incidence is increased, the angle of refraction also increases until it gets closer
to 90°. When the angle of refraction is exactly 90° and the light is refracted along the
boundary, the angle of incidence has reached the critical angle (C).
Image source: Rice university,CC BY 4.0
In the case that one of the materials (n2) is air (which has a refractive index of approximately 1),
you can use the following formula to find the critical angle (C):
sin C = n1 w
here n > 1
2.3.47 - Total internal reflection

Total internal reflection (TIR) can occur when the angle of incidence is greater than the
critical angle and the incident refractive index (n1) is greater than the refractive index of the
material at the boundary (n2).
Image source: Josell7,CC BY-SA 3.0
2.3.48 - Measuring the refractive index of a solid material

The procedure for finding the refractive index of a solid material is as follows:
1. Place the material in the centre of a piece of paper and draw around it using a pencil.
2. Next, put the material block aside and mark a point on the outline of the material
(preferably in the centre) and draw a line perpendicular to the outline at this point (as
shown below). This is the normal line. Use a protractor to make sure that the line is at
exactly 90° (perpendicular).
3. Using a protractor, draw lines leaving the point you have marked at 10° intervals from
10° - 70°, where the angle is measured from the normal line to the line you are drawing.
These will be the incident rays.
4. Put the material block back, making sure that it fits the outline as well as possible.
5. Using a ray box, shine a ray of line along the 10° line and mark the point at which the
light ray leaves the material block.
6. Join the point you have just marked down to the point on the normal line, at which the
light ray enters the block. Using a protractor, measure the angle between this line and
the normal. This is the angle of refraction.
7. Repeat the above two steps for all of the incident angles.
8. Repeat the above method two more times and find the average value of the angle of
refraction for each incident angle.
9. Plot a graph of sine of the incident angles (sin i) against sine of the refracted angles (sin
r). Plot a line of best fit and find the gradient - this is the refractive index of the material
used.
You can derive the above result using snell’s law:

n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2
Our initial material is air, which has a refractive index of 1, so the snell’s law equation above can
be simplified to:
sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2
If you replace θ1 (the angle of incidence) with i, θ2 (the angle of refraction) with r, and n2 with n to
represent the refractive index of our material, you get:
sin i = n sin r
Y = mx
This is simply the equation of the straight line in a graph of sin i against sin r, meaning that its
gradient must be n.
2.3.49 - Plane polarisation

A polarised wave oscillates in only one plane (e.g only up and down if vertically polarised),
only transverse waves can be polarised.
Below is a diagram which shows the effect of vertically polarised and horizontally polarised
waves passing through a block with vertical slits, which acts as a vertically polarising filter.
(a) The vertically polarised wave passes through the filter without a problem.
(b) The horizontally polarised wave cannot pass through the filter as it blocks waves which
are not in the vertical plane.
Polarised sunglasses are an application of polarisation. They reduce glare by blocking
partially polarised light reflected from water and tarmac, as they only allow oscillations in the
plane of the filter to pass through, making it easier to see.
2.3.50 - Diffraction and Huygens’ construction

Diffraction is the spreading out of waves when they pass through or around a gap.
Huygens’ construction states that every point on a wavefront is a point source to secondary
wavelets, which spread out to form the next wavefront, as shown in the diagram below:
Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0, Image is cropped
Huygens’ construction can be used to explain the diffraction of light when it meets an obstacle
or passes through a gap.
For example, consider a sound wave travelling through a doorway. From experience, you know
that the sound will (probably) be heard throughout the entire room, this is because, as the sound
wave travels through the doorway, it diffracts, spreading through the entire room. Diffraction
occurs here because each point on the wavefront passing through the doorway (labelled 1 - 5),
is a source of wavelets, which spread out from the gap of the doorway forming further circular
wavefronts.
In contrast to this, consider light travelling through a doorway. The light passes through the
doorway without diffracting much at all, which is why you get straight-edged shadows (as
shown in the diagram below).
The reason the light waves barely diffract, while the sound waves diffract a lot, is because their
wavelength is much smaller in comparison to the size of the doorway. Whereas, the wavelength
of the sound wave is much closer to that of the doorway, and the greatest amount of diffraction
occurs when the gap is the same size as the wavelength.
2.3.51 - Diffraction grating equation

A diffraction grating is a slide containing many equally spaced slits very close together.
When light is passed through a diffraction grating, it forms an interference pattern composed of
light and dark fringes.
The ray of light passing through the centre of a diffraction grating is called the zero order line,
lines either side of the zero order are the first order lines, then the lines outside the two first
order lines are the second order lines, and so on as showcased in the diagram below.
The diffraction grating equation is:

d sinθ = nλ
Where d is the distance between the slits (in the diffraction grating), θ is the angle to the normal
made by the maximum (light fringe), n is the order and λ is the wavelength.
2..3.53 - Electron diffraction as evidence for the wave nature of electrons

Electron diffraction experiments can be performed using an electron gun, which accelerates
electrons through a vacuum tube towards a crystal lattice, where they interact with the small
gaps between atoms and form an interference pattern on a fluorescent screen behind the
crystal.
The interference pattern created by the type of experiment described above, looks like a set of
concentric rings as shown below:
If electrons only had a particle nature, you would expect the pattern to look like a single point,
where the electron beam has passed through the lattice. However, this is not the case as the
electrons undergo diffraction, which is something only waves can experience. This is why
electron diffraction provides evidence for the wave nature of electrons.
2.3.54 - de Broglie relation

The de Broglie hypothesis states that all particles have a wave nature and a particle nature,
and that the wavelength of any particle can be found using the following equation:
h
λ= p
Where λ is the de Broglie wavelength, h is the Planck constant and p is the momentum of the particle.
2.3.55 - Wave behaviour at an interface
An interface is a boundary between two materials. At an interface, waves can be:
● Transmitted - where they pass into the next material. They may experience refraction if
the materials have different refractive indices. (Shown on the left diagram below).
● Reflected - where the waves bounce off the interface without passing into the next
material. (Shown on the right diagram below).
Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0 Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0
2.3.56 - Pulse-echo technique

The pulse-echo technique is used with ultrasound waves (sounds waves with a frequency
greater than 20 kHz) for the imagining of objects, notably for medical imaging. This technique
relies on the fact that waves are reflected when they meet boundaries between different
materials.
Below is a brief description of the pulse-echo technique:

1. Short pulse ultrasound waves are transmitted into the target (e.g the body in medical
imaging).
2. The pulse travels inside the body until it reaches a boundary between two mediums
where some of the pulse is reflected back. The amount of reflection depends on the
difference in densities of the materials; the greater this difference, the greater the
reflection.
3. The reflected waves are detected as they leave the target.
4. The intensities of the reflected waves are used to determine the structure of the target
and the time taken for these reflected waves to return is used to determine the position
of objects in the target (using s = vt).
Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0, Image is cropped

If the duration of the pulses is too long, they will likely overlap, meaning that the amount of
information you obtain (the resolution of the image) will decrease.
Also, as the wavelength of the waves used increases, the less fine details can be resolved,
meaning that amount of information you obtain will decrease.
2.3.57 - Wave model and photon model of electromagnetic radiation

The photon model states that: EM waves travel in discrete packets called photons, which
have an energy directly proportional to their frequency ( E = hf ).
On the other hand, in terms of the wave model, EM radiation can be described as a transverse
wave.
Initially, light (which is a type of EM wave) was believed to be composed of tiny particles as this
could explain the reflection and refraction of light. However, light was later proved to act as a
wave through diffraction experiments, so people believed it was instead formed of waves.
Before long, due to the discovery of photoelectricity (explained in 2.392) , the attitude towards
the composition of light (and EM waves) changed once again. Light had now been proven to act
as both a particle and a wave, which led to development of the photon model of light and
wave-particle duality.
2.3.58 - Photon energy

Photons have an energy which is directly proportional to their frequency, as described by the
equation below:
E = hf
Where E is the photon energy, h is Planck’s constant and f is the wave frequency.
2.3.59 - Photoelectricity
The photoelectric effect is where photoelectrons are emitted from the surface of a metal after
light above a certain frequency is shone on it. This certain frequency is different for different
types of metals and is called the threshold frequency.
Photoelectrons are emitted because electrons near the surface of the metal absorb a photon
and gain enough energy to leave the surface.
Image source: Wolfmankurd,CC BY-SA 3.0
2.3.60 - Threshold frequency, work function and the photoelectric equation

As described above, the threshold frequency is the minimum frequency of light required to
emit photoelectrons, and this varies depending on the type of metal.
The work function of a metal is the minimum energy required for electrons to be emitted from
the surface of a metal, and it is denoted by Φ.
The photoelectric equation shows the relationship between the work function, the frequency of
light (shone onto the metal) and the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted photoelectrons.
E = hf = Φ + E k (max)
Where E is the photon energy, Φ is the work function and Ek(max) is the maximum kinetic energy.
2.3.61 - Electronvolt
The electronvolt (eV) is a unit of energy, usually used to express small energies. 1 eV is equal
to the kinetic energy of an electron accelerated across a potential difference of 1 V or 1.6 x 10-19
J.
You can convert between joules and electron volts quite easily:
● Joules to electron volts - divide by 1.6 x 10-19
● Electron volts to joules - multiply by 1.6 x 10-19
2.3.62 - The photoelectric effect as evidence for the particle nature of EM radiation
The photoelectric effect also couldn’t be explained by wave theory as:
1. Wave theory suggests that any frequency of light should be able to cause
photoelectric emission as the energy absorbed by each electron will gradually
increase with each incoming wave, and so can’t explain the existence of a threshold
frequency.
2. The photoelectric effect is immediate, which contradicts wave theory which suggests
time is needed for the energy supplied to the electrons to reach the work function
(minimum energy required for electrons to be emitted from the surface of a metal).
3. Increasing the intensity of the light does not increase the speed of photoelectric
emission as would be suggested by wave theory, but instead it increases the number
of photoelectrons released per second.
4. Photoelectrons are released with a range of kinetic energies.
Image source: Ponor,CC BY-SA 4.0
The photon model of EM radiation, which suggests that EM waves are released in discrete
packets called photons, which have particle-like interactions, could be used to explain all the
points above which wave theory couldn’t:
1. When a photon interacts with an electron, all of its energy is transferred to it, and an
electron can only interact with a single photon. If this energy is above the work
function, a photoelectron is emitted, if this energy is below the work function, the electron
remains in place. As the energy of a photon is directly proportional to frequency ( E = hf ),
the threshold frequency is the frequency at which the photon energy is equal to
the work function of the metal.
2. The photon energy is transferred to the electron immediately when they interact, leading
to photoelectrons being emitted immediately.
3. Intensity is equal to the number of photons released per second, if this is increased
the number of photoelectrons emitted is increased because more photons interact
with electrons per second.
4. All electrons will receive the same amount of energy from a photon of light, however
electrons which are deeper in the metal will lose energy through collisions when
leaving the metal, and will therefore have a lower kinetic energy.
2.3.63 - Atomic line spectra

Electrons in atoms can only exist in discrete energy levels. If an electron gains enough energy it
can move up in energy level (this is known as excitation), however it will quickly return to its
original energy level and release the energy it gained in the form of a photon of light.
Inside a fluorescent tube, electrons are accelerated, causing gas atoms to become excited and
then de-excite, releasing photons. By passing the light from a fluorescent tube through a
diffraction grating or prism, you get a line spectrum. Each line in the spectrum represents a
different wavelength of light emitted by the tube. As this spectrum is not continuous but rather
contains only discrete values of wavelength, the photon energies emitted will correspond to
these wavelengths. This is evidence to show that the electrons in atoms can only transition
between discrete energy levels.
The difference between two energy levels is equal to a specific photon energy emitted by a
fluorescent tube, or absorbed in a line absorption spectrum.
Therefore, you can calculate the energy of an emitted photon by using the following formula:
ΔE = E 1 − E 2
Where ΔE is the photon energy and E1/E2, represent energy levels.
Using the photon energy equation ( E = hf ), you can see that you can find the photon
frequency by using the following equation:
ΔE = hf = E 1 − E 2
E 1 −E 2
f= h
Where f is the photon frequency and h is the Planck constant.

2.3. Waves and Particle Nature of Life

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2.3. Waves and Particle Nature of Life

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

2.3. Waves and Particle Nature of Life

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Edexcel IAL Physics A-level

Topic 2.3: Waves and Particle Nature of

This work by PMT Education is licensed under https://bit.ly/pmt-cc

Amplitude A wave’s maximum displacement from the equilibrium position.

Period (T) The time taken for one full oscillation.

2.3.34 - Wave equation

Stage Rarefaction Compression

Pressure Decreased Increased

Displacement of particles Neighbouring particles move Neighbouring particles move

2.3.37 - Graphs of transverse and longitudinal waves

A ​standing wave​ (​explained further in 2.367​) can be represented on a displacement-distance

Image source: ​LibreTexts​, ​CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US

2.3.39 - Further definitions

Path difference The difference in the distance travelled by two waves.

Image source: ​LibreTexts​, ​CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US

Image source: ​Haade​,​CC BY-SA 3.0​, Image is recoloured

2.3.40 - Phase difference and path difference

Then, substitute in the given values.

No energy is transferred by a stationary wave​.

Where the waves meet:

Image source: ​Rice University​,​CC BY 4.0

2.3.44 - Intensity of radiation

Image source: ​Oleg Alexandrov​,​CC BY-SA 3.0

2.3.46 - Critical angle

2.3.47 - Total internal reflection

Image source: ​Josell7​,​CC BY-SA 3.0

2.3.48 - Measuring the refractive index of a solid material

You can derive the above result using snell’s law:

2.3.49 - Plane polarisation

2.3.50 - Diffraction and Huygens’ construction

Image source: ​Rice University​,​CC BY 4.0​, Image is cropped

Image source: ​Rice University​,​CC BY 4.0

2.3.51 - Diffraction grating equation

The diffraction grating equation is:

2..3.53 - Electron diffraction as evidence for the wave nature of electrons

2.3.54 - de Broglie relation

2.3.56 - Pulse-echo technique

Below is a brief description of the ​pulse-echo technique​:

Image source: ​Rice University​,​CC BY 4.0​, Image is cropped

2.3.57 - Wave model and photon model of electromagnetic radiation

2.3.58 - Photon energy

Image source: ​Wolfmankurd​,​CC BY-SA 3.0

2.3.60 - Threshold frequency, work function and the photoelectric equation

Image source: ​Ponor​,​CC BY-SA 4.0

2.3.63 - Atomic line spectra

You might also like

A standing wave (explained further in 2.367) can be represented on a displacement-distance

Image source: LibreTexts, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US

Image source: LibreTexts, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US

Image source: Haade,CC BY-SA 3.0, Image is recoloured

No energy is transferred by a stationary wave.

Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0

Image source: Oleg Alexandrov,CC BY-SA 3.0

Image source: Josell7,CC BY-SA 3.0

Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0, Image is cropped

Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0

Below is a brief description of the pulse-echo technique:

Image source: Rice University,CC BY 4.0, Image is cropped

Image source: Wolfmankurd,CC BY-SA 3.0

Image source: Ponor,CC BY-SA 4.0