← Physics syllabus

WalesPhysics

Unit 1: Waves

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the features of waves, and how are wave speed, frequency and wavelength linked?

Transverse and longitudinal waves, amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period, and the wave equation linking speed, frequency and wavelength.
A focused answer to WJEC GCSE Physics topic 1.5 on the features of waves, covering transverse and longitudinal waves, amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period, the period-frequency relationship, and the wave equation linking speed, frequency and wavelength.
9 min answer →

How do waves reflect and refract, and how does total internal reflection work?

Reflection and the law of reflection, refraction at a boundary, the critical angle, total internal reflection, and the use of optical fibres.
A focused answer to WJEC GCSE Physics topic 1.6 on total internal reflection, covering the law of reflection, refraction at a boundary, the critical angle, the conditions for total internal reflection, and how optical fibres use it in communication and medicine.
9 min answer →

What are seismic waves, and what do they reveal about the Earth's structure?

P-waves and S-waves, how they travel through the Earth, the shadow zones, and the evidence they give for the layered structure and liquid outer core.
A focused answer to WJEC GCSE Physics topic 1.7 on seismic waves, covering longitudinal P-waves and transverse S-waves, how they travel and refract through the Earth, the shadow zones, and the evidence they give for the layered structure and a liquid outer core.
9 min answer →

What is the electromagnetic spectrum, and what are the uses and hazards of each part?

The electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays, the shared properties of EM waves, and the uses and hazards of each region.
A focused answer to WJEC GCSE Physics topic 1.5 on the electromagnetic spectrum, covering the order from radio waves to gamma rays, the shared properties of EM waves, and the uses and hazards of each region from radio to ionising gamma.
9 min answer →