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External links

• NCEA on TKI
• NZQA website

Physics 1.4 Demonstrate understanding of aspects of wave behaviour

Subject content

Make sure you have up-to-date course notes. Use them, and if you haven't got them see your teacher. The topics you may be tested on are:

• Phenomena, concepts, and principles about waves and light:
  
  • Waves:
    
    • longitudinal waves, check out this interactive applet showing Reflection and Refraction of Light Waves
    • transverse waves
    • period
    • wavelength
    • frequency
    • amplitude
    • speed.
  • Light:
    • rectilinear propagation of light
    • reflection at a plane surface, including virtual images, lateral inversion
    • refraction at a straight boundary between two media, including:
      
      • refraction through triangular prisms and rectangular blocks
      • virtual images
      • dispersion of white light through a triangular prism
      • total internal reflection
      • critical angle
    • speed of light in different media, refractive index
    • view the interactive applet that demonstrates reflection and refraction of waves (called the Huygens principle).
  • Relationships:
    
    • a formula can express the components of a relationship in a simplified way. For example:
      
      • a relationship exists between speed, distance, and time
      • a relationship exists between speed, distance, and time . Check out the wave equation
    • a relationship exists between frequency and time
    • a relationship exists between the refractive indexes and the speed of light of two substances
  • You solve a problem by selecting the correct formula to use, and solve a missing component by rearranging the formula.

• Other websites for revision:

Features of waves

Wave speed

Waves

Sound waves and music

Light waves and colour

Light

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