AQA•GCSE•Physics
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Waves
Wave properties, electromagnetic spectrum, light and sound
Practice 86 subtopics in Waves. All questions match the AQA GCSE specification.
About Waves
Waves is a key topic in the AQA GCSE Physicsspecification. This topic covers wave properties, electromagnetic spectrum, light and sound.
Master all 86 subtopics below with unlimited AI-generated questions. Each subtopic page includes sample questions and the ability to generate unlimited practice questions with detailed solutions.
All Subtopics (86)
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Wave definition (energy transfer)Transverse wavesLongitudinal wavesExamples of transverse waves (light, water waves, S-waves)Examples of longitudinal waves (sound, ultrasound, P-waves)Compressions and rarefactionsAmplitudeWavelengthFrequencyPeriodWave equation (v = fλ)Wave speed calculationsPeriod-frequency relationship (T = 1/f)Required Practical 9: Measuring wave speedRipple tank investigationsMeasuring speed of soundReflection of wavesLaw of reflectionAbsorption of wavesTransmission of wavesSound as longitudinal wavesHuman hearing range (20 Hz to 20 kHz)Ultrasound (above 20 kHz)Infrasound (below 20 Hz)Sound wave detection (microphone, ear)Ultrasound in medicine (prenatal scanning) (T)Ultrasound for distance measurement (SONAR) (T)Seismic waves (P-waves and S-waves) (T)Using seismic waves to explore Earth's structure (T)Electromagnetic spectrumEM waves as transverse wavesSpeed of EM waves in vacuum (3 × 10⁸ m/s)Radio wavesMicrowavesInfrared radiationVisible lightUltraviolet radiationX-raysGamma raysRelative wavelengths and frequenciesCommon properties of all EM wavesDifferences between EM wavesRefraction of EM wavesAbsorption and transmissionReflection of EM wavesRadio waves (TV, radio, communications)Microwaves (cooking, satellite communication, mobile phones)Infrared (heating, thermal imaging, remote controls)Visible light (vision, photography, illumination)Ultraviolet (fluorescent lamps, detecting counterfeit notes)X-rays (medical imaging, airport security)Gamma rays (sterilisation, cancer treatment)Ionising vs non-ionising radiationUV radiation hazards (skin cancer, eye damage)X-ray hazards (cell damage, cancer)Gamma ray hazards (cell damage, cancer)Microwave hazards (internal heating of body tissue)Safety precautionsSpecular reflection (smooth surfaces) (T)Diffuse reflection (rough surfaces) (T)Plane mirrors (T)Image formation in mirrors (T)Refraction definition (T)Required Practical 6: Light and refraction (T)Refraction at boundaries (T)Refractive index (T)Total internal reflection (T)Critical angle (T)Optical fibres (T)White light and spectrum (T)Colour filters (T)Absorption of light by coloured surfaces (T)Appearance of coloured objects in different lights (T)Converging (convex) lenses (T)Diverging (concave) lenses (T)Focal length and principal focus (T)Ray diagrams for lenses (T)Real and virtual images (T)Magnification (T)Lens equation calculations (H, T)Black body definition (T)Perfect absorbers and emitters (T)Black body radiation spectrum (T)Temperature and peak wavelength (T)Required Practical 10: Radiation and absorption (T)Stefan-Boltzmann law (H, T)
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