OCR GCSE Physics A J249
Electricity
Energy
Forces
Global Challenges
Magnetism and Magnetic Fields
Matter
Radioactivity
Waves in Matter
Waves in Matter
Frequency and wavelength across the spectrum
- 3 things to know
- Paper 2
Overview
How frequency and wavelength are related for electromagnetic waves, calculations using their common speed, the order of the spectrum, and which colours lie at each end of visible light.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Which has the longer wavelength, infrared or ultraviolet?
Why is it enough to know the frequency of an electromagnetic wave in order to work out its wavelength?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
How are the frequency and wavelength of an electromagnetic wave related?
Model answer
They are inversely related, so as the frequency increases the wavelength decreases, because all these waves travel at the same speed.
- 2
Which has the higher frequency, a radio wave or an X-ray?
Model answer
The X-ray has the higher frequency.
- 3
Which has the longer wavelength, infrared or ultraviolet?
Model answer
Infrared has the longer wavelength.
- 4
An electromagnetic wave of wavelength 3 m travels at 3 × 10⁸ m/s. What is its frequency?
Model answer
Its frequency is 1 × 10⁸ Hz, because 3 × 10⁸ ÷ 3 = 1 × 10⁸.
- 5
A microwave has a frequency of 3 × 10⁹ Hz and travels at 3 × 10⁸ m/s. What is its wavelength?
Model answer
Its wavelength is 0.1 m, because 3 × 10⁸ ÷ 3 × 10⁹ = 0.1.
- 6
An infrared wave has a wavelength of 10 μm, which is 1 × 10⁻⁵ m. What is its frequency?
Model answer
Its frequency is 3 × 10¹³ Hz, because 3 × 10⁸ ÷ 1 × 10⁻⁵ = 3 × 10¹³.
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