Study Design
- identify all electromagnetic waves as transverse waves travelling at the same speed, c, in a vacuum as distinct from mechanical waves that require a medium to propagate
- identify the amplitude, wavelength, period and frequency of waves
- calculate the wavelength, frequency, period and speed of travel of waves using: wavelength = speed/frequency
- explain the wavelength of a wave as a result of the velocity (determined by the medium through which it travels) and the frequency (determined by the source)
- describe electromagnetic radiation emitted from the Sun as mainly ultraviolet, visible and infrared
- compare the wavelength and frequencies of different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma, and compare the different uses each has in society
- calculate the peak wavelength of the radiated electromagnetic radiation using Wien’s Law: λmaxT = constant
- compare the total energy across the electromagnetic spectrum emitted by objects at different temperatures
