GCSE Physics — Waves

Led by James Clerk Maxwell Simulacrum

Six tutorials covering AQA GCSE Physics §4.6 Waves — wave properties, reflection and detection, the electromagnetic spectrum, refraction and radiation hazards, lenses and colour, and black body radiation — taught by simulacra of the physicists who worked out how waves carry energy through the universe.

1. Module 1 ○ Open

   Wave Basics

   Led by Joseph Fourier Simulacrum

   The question

   What is a wave, what does it carry, and what are the four numbers that tell you everything you need to know about any periodic wave?

   Outcome

   The student can distinguish transverse from longitudinal waves with examples, define amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and period, apply T = 1/f and v = fλ, measure these quantities in a ripple tank, and (physics only) reason about what changes when a wave crosses from one medium to another. (AQA 4.6.1.1, 4.6.1.2)

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2. Module 2 ○ Open

   Reflection, Sound, and Detection *(physics-only)*

   Led by Christiaan Huygens Simulacrum

   The question

   What happens when a wave meets a boundary, how does a sound wave become a vibration you hear, and how do we see inside an object with ultrasound?

   Outcome

   The student can construct ray diagrams for reflection, describe what happens at material boundaries, (HT) describe how sound is converted to mechanical vibration, state the human hearing range, explain ultrasound imaging, and use P- and S-wave properties to reason about the Earth's interior. (AQA 4.6.1.3, 4.6.1.4, 4.6.1.5)

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3. Module 3 ○ Open

   The Electromagnetic Spectrum

   Led by James Clerk Maxwell Simulacrum

   The question

   Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays — what do all these have in common, and what distinguishes them?

   Outcome

   The student can name the seven groups of the EM spectrum in order of wavelength or frequency, state that all EM waves are transverse and travel at the same speed through vacuum, identify a practical application for each group, and (Higher Tier) explain why the wavelength makes it suitable for that application. (AQA 4.6.2.1, 4.6.2.4)

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4. Module 4 ○ Open

   Refraction, Infrared, and Radiation Hazards

   Led by William Herschel Simulacrum

   The question

   When a ray of light passes from air into water it bends — why? And when ultraviolet or X-ray radiation passes through your skin, why is that genuinely dangerous?

   Outcome

   The student can explain that different wavelengths interact with matter differently, (HT) explain refraction using ray and wavefront diagrams, describe the biological hazards of UV, X-rays, and gamma rays, evaluate risk from quantitative data, and carry out Required Practical 10. (AQA 4.6.2.2, 4.6.2.3)

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5. Module 5 ○ Open

   Lenses and Visible Light *(physics-only)*

   Led by Pierre de Fermat Simulacrum

   The question

   How does a lens form an image, and what actually determines the colour you perceive when you look at an object?

   Outcome

   The student can construct ray diagrams for convex and concave lenses showing real and virtual images, apply the magnification equation, distinguish specular from diffuse reflection, and explain the colour of an opaque object in terms of differential absorption, transmission, and reflection. (AQA 4.6.2.5, 4.6.2.6)

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6. Module 6 ○ Open

   Black Body Radiation *(physics-only)*

   Led by Max Planck Simulacrum

   The question

   Why does a poker glow red hot, and what does the temperature of the Earth depend on?

   Outcome

   The student can explain that all bodies emit radiation with intensity and wavelength distribution set by temperature, define a perfect black body, and (Higher Tier) explain how the balance between absorbed and emitted radiation determines the temperature of an object — including the Earth. (AQA 4.6.3.1, 4.6.3.2)

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