National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Name______________________

?

LOs
Teacher__________________
I am confident that I understand this and I can apply this to problems
I have some understanding but I need to revise this some more
I don’t know this or I need help because I don’t understand it
National 4 outcomes are in lighter font.
3.1 Wave Characteristics
1. What is a wave? What do waves do?
National 5 outcomes are in bold
Covered
()
How well can
you do this?

? 
2. What is a longitudinal wave?

?

3. Give an example of a longitudinal wave.

?

4. What is a transverse wave?

?

5. Give an example of a transverse wave?

?

6. What is the wavelength of a wave?

?

7. Can I find the wavelength of a wave from a diagram?

?

1
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
LOs
Covered
How well can
you do this?
()
8. What is meant by the amplitude of a wave?

?

9. What is meant by the frequency of a wave?

?

10. What is meant by the period of a wave?

?

11. Can I find the frequency of a wave using an oscilloscope?


?
12. Can I carry out calculations on distance, speed and time of waves
using the formula d = v x t?

?

13. Can I carry out calculations on wave speed, frequency and
wavelength using the formula v =f x λ?

?


?

14. What is diffraction?
2
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Covered
()
LOs
How well can
you do this?
15. Do all waves diffract equally? What does diffraction depend
on?

?

16. How does wavelength affect diffraction?

?

3
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
3.2 Sound
LOs
How well can
you do this?
Covered
()
1. Which types of matter can sound travel through?

2. Can I describe an experiment showing how to measure the speed
of sound in air?
3. What is the speed of sound in air?
4. How does changing the frequency of a wave affect it? What
would this look like on an oscilloscope?

?



?

?

?

5. How does changing the amplitude of a wave affect it? What does
this look like on an oscilloscope?

?

6. Do I know how to measure sound levels?

?

7. Can I give at least four examples of everyday sound levels using
the decibel scale?

?

8. What is noise pollution?

?

9. Give 3 examples of noise pollution.

?

4
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Covered
()
10. What risk does noise pollution pose to human hearing?
LOs
How well can
you do this?

? 
11. What is high frequency deafness?

?

12. How can we protect human hearing? How does this work?

?

13. What is sonar? Give an example of a use of sonar?

?


?

15. What is ultrasound?

?

16. Can I give examples of applications of ultrasound in medicine?

?

17. Have I explored sound reproduction technologies?

?


?

14. What is the frequency range of human hearing?
18. Can I explain how noise cancellation works in relation to noisecancelling headphones and noise cancellation technology in
Humvees and helicopters?
5
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Covered
()
19. Do I understand the sound produced from tuning forks and the
production of notes from musical instruments?
20. Have I explored technology used to record and enhance sound?
LOs
How well can
you do this?

?


?

6
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
3.3 Electromagnetic Spectrum
Covered
()
LOs
How well can
you do this?
1. What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

?

2. Can I name each type of wave in the electromagnetic spectrum?

?

3. Can I list the waves of the em spectrum in order of
frequency(lowest f first)?

?

4. Can I list the waves of the em spectrum in order of wavelength
(shortest first)?

?


?


?


?

5. How is the energy of a wave related to its frequency?
6. Give 2 examples each of the uses of em radiation in a) industry
and b) leisure.
7. Do I understand how each of the different types of em radiation
can be detected and give examples of detectors?
7
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Covered
()
8. Give 2 examples each of jobs which use em radiation in a)
industry and b) leisure.
LOs
How well can
you do this?

?


?

11. What safety precautions need to be taken when using em
radiation?

?

12. Can I describe what is meant by refraction of light in terms of
wave speed?

?

13. Can I identify from a diagram the angle of incidence, angle of
refraction and the normal?

?


?


?

9. What possible hazards are there when using em radiation?
14. What is meant by the critical angle?
15. Can I describe an experiment showing how to measure the
critical angle?
8
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Covered
()
16. Can I draw ray diagrams for the eye which show the focussing
of light on the retina for NORMAL, LONG and SHORT sight?
LOs
How well can
you do this?

?

17. Can I draw ray diagrams to show how to correct short sight?

?

18. Can I draw ray diagrams to show how to correct long sight?

?

9
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
3.4 Nuclear Radiation
1. Can I describe a simple model of the atom which includes protons,
neutrons and electrons?
Covered
()
LOs
How well can
you do this?

?

2.What is alpha radiation?

?

3. What is beta radiation?

?

4. What is gamma radiation?

?

5. Can I explain what is meant by ionization?

?

6. Do I know Which type of nuclear radiation causes most
ionization?
Do I know Which type of nuclear radiation causes least ionization?

?

5. Do I know what materials will absorb alpha, beta and gamma
radiation?

?


?

6. Can I give at least two examples of sources of background
radiation?
10
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Covered
()
7. Do I know how naturally occurring radioactive materials are
extracted from the Earth?
LOs
How well can
you do this?

?

8. Can I give examples of artificial sources of radiation?

?

9. What effects can radiation have on living cells?

?


?

11. What are the risks involved when dealing with nuclear radiation?

?

12. What is meant by absorbed dose?

?

13. Can I carry out calculations involving D = E/m?

?

14. What is meant by equivalent dose?

?

15. Can I carry out calculations involving H = Dw?

?

10. Can I explain society’s reliance on radioactivity, e.g. in medical &
industrial applications?
11
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Covered
()
16. Can I compare the equivalent dose due to a variety of natural
and artificial sources?
LOs
How well can
you do this?

? 
17. What is meant by the activity of a source? Can I carry out
calculations involving the activity of a source?

?

18. What is half life?

?

19. Can I explain how half life is used in and industrial
applications?

?


?

22. How would the risks involved with nuclear radiation be
managed?

?

23. Do I know and understand the effects of nuclear radiation of
living things (eg leukaemia)?

?

20. Can I use information from tables and graphs to calculate half
life?
21. Can I explain the environmental hazards of nuclear radiation?
12
National 4 and 5 Physics
Unit 3- Waves and Radiation
Covered
()
24. Do I know & understand the effects of nuclear radiation on nonliving things (eg scintillation)?
LOs
How well can
you do this?

?

25. Can I list the pros and cons of generating electricity using nuclear
fuel?

?

26. Do I understand the risk due to nuclear radiation and other
environmental factors posed by nuclear power stations?

?

27. How are the different risks posed by nuclear power stations
managed?

?

28. Can I describe qualitatively fission and fusion?

?

29. Do I understand the importance of fission & fusion in the
generation of energy?

?

13