Properties of waves REVISION (Topic 3 CIE IGCSE Physics)

This is an engaging revision lesson which uses a range of exam questions, understanding checks, quiz tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content within topic 3 (Properties of waves, including light and sound) of the Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) specification. The lesson covers the content in both the core and supplement sections of the specification and therefore can be used with students who will be taking the extended papers as well as the core papers.

The specification points that are covered in this revision lesson include:

• Give the meaning of the terms speed, frequency, wavelength and amplitude
• Distinguish between longitudinal and transverse waves and be able to give suitable examples of each
• Recall and use the equation velocity = frequency x wavelength
• Describe how waves can undergo reflection, refraction and diffraction
• Describe how wavelength affects diffraction
• Describe an experimental demonstration of the refraction of light
• Be able to define refractive index and recall the equation to calculate
• Give the meaning of the critical angle and recall the equation to calculate
• Describe total internal reflection and be able to explain the use of optical fibres in medicine
• The electromagnetic spectrum
• Describe the longitudinal nature of sound waves
• State the approximate range of audible frequencies for a healthy human
• Show an understanding of the term ultrasound
• Describe an experiment to determine the speed of sound in air

The students will thoroughly enjoy the range of activities, which include quiz competitions such as “Should you WAVE goodbye” where they have to decide if a passage is 100% factually correct or not whilst crucially being able to recognise the areas of this topic which need their further attention. This lesson can be used as revision resource at the end of the topic or in the lead up to mocks or the actual GCSE exams.