Summary
Summary Waves and Particle Nature of Light Edexcel A-Level Physics
- Course
- Institution
Notes on waves and particle duality
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
antosierrap
Content preview
WAVES AND PARTICLE NATURE OF LIGHTTypes of waves:
• Longitudinal:
o They propagate by the oscillation of particles displaced parallel to the line of travel
of the wave.
o These are caused by a vibrating object which causes pressure vibrations by pushing
molecules closer together as it oscillates.
• Transverse:
o The particles of the medium carrying the wave energy are displaced perpendicular
to the direction that the wave is traveling.
• Wavefront à The surface made up of all the points of the wave that are in phase with each
other.
• Coherence à Waves with the same frequency and constant phase difference.
• Path Difference à For two waves starting at different points and arriving at the same point
the path difference is the difference in the length travelled by each wave in meters.
• Superposition à When two waves meet at the same point I space their displacement
combines and the total displacement at that point tis the sum of individual displacements.
• Phase Difference and Path Difference relationship:
o The phase difference in radians of two waves with the same frequency and
their path differences are related as shown:
Δ𝑥 = (𝜆/2𝜋)Δ𝜙
, • Standing/Stationary Waves:
o Standing waves can occur when two waves (with same frequency, wavelength and
amplitude) travelling in opposite direction meet and undergo superposition. No
energy is transferred in a stationary wave
o Nodes à points of zero amplitude which occur when the waves meet at antiphase,
having destructive interference which will result in the sum of the individual
amplitudes being 0.
o Anti-nodes à points of maximum amplitude which occur when the waves meet in
phase, having constructive interference which will result in the sum of the individual
amplitudes being 0.
• Speed of a transverse wave on a string:
• Refractive index, Snell’s law and Critical angle:
o Refraction occurs when a wave enters a
different medium, causing it to change direction as
it also changes speed, either towards or away from
the normal.
o If the new medium is more optically denser,
it will slow down and bend towards the normal.
o Critical angle is when the angle of refraction
increases until it reaches 90 degrees. When it is
exactly 90, the light is refracted across the
boundary and the angle of incidence has reached
the critical angle.
2
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller antosierrap. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.31. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
66579 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now