Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) LECTURE NOTES

PHYSICS (YPH11)
LECTURE NOTES
Unit 2: Waves and Electricity (WPH12/01)
TOPIC 3 Waves (PART 1)

3A.1 Wave Basics

3A.2 Wave Types

3C.1 Refraction

3C.2 Total Internal Reflection

Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

Unit 2: TOPIC 3 Waves

3A.1 Wave Basics
The vital statistics of a wave
1. There are few common terminologies about waves.
(a) Amplitude,
- Maximum displacement of the oscillation from its equilibrium position.
(b) Frequency,
- Number of complete oscillations per unit time.
(c) Wavelength,
- The minimum distance between two in-phase points on a wave.
(d) Speed of wave,
- The rate at which the outline of a wave through medium.

Wave equation
Velocity of wave, =

- (3.1)

2. Pearson, Page 92

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

3A.2 Wave Types

Transverse waves and longitudinal waves
3. There are two types of waves:
(a) Transverse waves
(b) Longitudinal waves

4. Transverse waves – A wave where the displacements are perpendicular to the

direction of propagation.

Examples, waves in a string, electromagnetic waves, water waves in a ripple tank.

Direction of propagation

Crest Trough

Figure 3.1 Transverse waves

5. Longitudinal waves – A wave where the displacements are parallel to the direction of
propagation.

Examples, sound waves, slinky spring in a longitudinal motion.

Direction of propagation
rarefaction rarefaction

compression
Direction of vibration
Figure 3.2 Longitudinal waves

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

Ideas:

 Only the form or the shape (energy) of wave moves forward.

 The particles are just oscillating about their equilibrium position.

Waves – circular and plane

6. Plane waves generated by wooden bar and circular waves generated by spherical dipper.

Figure 3.3 (a) Wooden bar Figure 3.3 (b) Spherical dipper

7. Pearson, Page 92

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

8. Question

Answers:

Ans: (a) (b)

Wavefronts and rays
9. Definition of wavefronts

- Lines joining all the points across adjacent rays that have the same phase.

Wavefronts
Figure 3.4 Wavefronts

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

10. Earthquake waves, as shown in figure below, can be fundamentally divided into 2 types,
Primary, P-waves and Secondary. S-waves. P-waves are longitudinal waves and S-waves are
transverse waves.

11. Pearson, Page 95

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12. Exam Practice, Page 98

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

13. Exam Practice, Page 99

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

Reflection (Revision)
Reflection of Waves
14. What is Reflection of Waves?
Return of all or portion of the waves when they encounter an obstacle (known as reflector).

15. Definition *
Change in the direction of propagation of a wave that strikes a boundary between different
media through which it cannot pass.

Laws of Reflection
16. The angle of incidence, i is equal to the angle of reflection, r.

17. The incident wave, the reflected wave and the normal lie in the same plane which is
perpendicular to the plane of reflection.
Reflection of Plane Waves
Normal

Incident wave Reflected wave

Figure 3.5 Reflection of waves

3C.1 Refraction
Refraction of Waves
18. What is Refraction of Waves?
Change in direction of a wave as it leaves one medium and enters another.

19. Definition *
the change of direction of propagation and speed of waves due to entering from one medium to
another medium.

What is Refraction of Light?

20. Definition *
The change of direction of propagation and speed of light due to entering from one medium to
another medium.

Laws of Refraction
21. The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal lie on the same plane.
The value of ratio sin to sin is a constant

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

Snell’s Law
22. The value of ratio sin to sin is the refractive index between the media

- (3.2)

where refractive index of medium 1

refractive index of medium 1
Angle of incidence
Angle of refraction

23. Refractive index shows how much the light is bent when a light beam propagates from one
medium to another. It is also called as optical density.

Refraction of Plane Water Waves

24. When plane water waves propagate from deep water to shallow water, the waves will change
direction and slow down.

25. The wavelength of water waves in shallow water is less than the wavelength of water waves in
deep water. But the FREQUENCY remains the same.

Refraction of Plane Waves

26. Waves propagate from deep water to shallow water.

Perspex Plate
Figure 3.6 Refraction of waves
The Laws of Refraction
27. The value of ratio sin i to sin r is a constant.

28. The incident wave, the refracted wave and the normal lie in the same plane.

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Summary
29. When water waves propagate from deep water to shallow water, the direction of propagation is
bent towards the normal.
30. When water waves propagate from shallow water to deep water, the direction of propagation is
bent away from normal.

Light Water wave

Less dense medium Deep water
Denser medium Shallow water
Table 3.1 Summary

Water wave Deep water to Shallow water Shallow water to Deep water
Light Less dense to denser Denser to less dense
Effect Towards the normal Away from normal
Table 3.2 Summary
31. Pearson, Page 121

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Dispersion

32. According to Snell’s law,

where,

Hence,

33. Based on fig. E, although the seven colours of lights enter the prism at the same angle, , due
to different wavelengths, the angle of diffraction of different colour of light varies and rainbow
was formed when the lights exit from the prism.

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

3C.2 Total Internal Reflection

Total Internal Reflection
34. Conditions*
The light propagates from denser medium to less dense medium
The angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle of the medium

Critical Angle and Total Internal Reflection

35. Critical angle, c
Definition*
The value of incident angle of the medium where the angle of refraction is 90O (right angle).

36. When , , .

- (3.3)

- (3.4)

i<c i=c
Denser Denser

Less dense Less dense

r = 90O
r
Figure 3.7 Critical Angle
37. When the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle, total internal reflection
occurs.

i=r
i>c
Denser

Less dense

Figure 3.8 Total Internal Reflection

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38. Pearson, Page 123

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

39. Exam Practice, Page 128

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Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics (YPH11) Unit 2: Waves and Electricity

40. Exam Practice, Page 129

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