Waves and Motion
Waves transfer energy without transferring matter. Properties of waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, Newton's laws and momentum.
Lessons
12 totalWhat are waves?
Energy moving through a medium — without the medium moving with it.
Wave properties
Amplitude, frequency, wavelength and speed — the four key measures.
Transverse and longitudinal waves
Two ways a wave can move — perpendicular or parallel.
The electromagnetic spectrum
From radio waves to gamma rays — all light, different energy.
Sound waves
Vibrations in matter — and why you can't hear in space.
Light — reflection and refraction
Bouncing off surfaces and bending at boundaries.
Applications of waves
Radio, medical imaging, Wi-Fi and more — waves at work.
Speed, distance and time
The basics of motion — how fast, how far, how long.
Newton's first law of motion
An object keeps doing what it's doing — unless a force acts.
Newton's second law (F = ma)
More force means more acceleration — but more mass means less.
Newton's third law
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Momentum
The quantity of motion — and why it's conserved.
Syllabus Outcomes
- SC5-WAM-01 Describes the features and applications of different forms of waves
- SC5-WAM-02 Explains the motion of objects using Newton's laws of motion