ASSAFWAH PRIVATE SCHOOL

AL KHOUD
IGCSE PHYSICS – GRADE – 9
Prepared by M.Govindaraj e mail: m_govindaraj@yahoo.co.uk

1. We see, feel and hear lot of waves in our daily life. Eg sound, light, waves on water surface,
wave in musical instruments, oscillation of air in wind pipes, simple pendulum etc,
2. The waves motions are due to vibration, oscillation, rotation etc.

Oscillation of pendulum Vibration of blade

3. Vibration: A regular to and fro(back ward) motion of a body about mean position.
4. Oscillation: A complete to and fro motion about its mean position. Eg Simple pendulum
5. Wave : The propagation of disturbances from one particle to another in forward direction in a
medium.
6. Vibrating body is the sources of waves.
 Direction of propagation
Direction of vibration

One Wavelength λ

Distance

Amplitude
Half Wavelength λ/2

7. Circular rings formed on water surface are called ripples.

8. Simple Pendulum: A metal bob connected with a light thread, the other end fixed to a hinge
9. One Oscillation of pendulum : Involves both a forward and backwards swing of the
pendulum.

Definitions
10. Displacement : The displacement of a vibrating object is its distance from the rest or central
position in either direction. The unit is metre.
11. Amplitude(a) The amplitude is the maximum displacement from the rest or central position
in either direction. The unit is metre.
12. Period(T) The period is the time of vibrating object takes to makes one complete oscillation.
The unit is second.
13. Wave length λ: The distance travelled by wave for one full vibration/ oscillation. Or The
distance between two successive particles which are at exactly the same point in their paths at
the same time and are moving in the same direction. Its unit is metre.
14. Frequency(f): The number of complete oscillations(or vibration/ cycles/rotation/ ) in one
second. The unit is second-1 or cycles or Hertz(Hz).
1 1
15. The relation between frequency and time period Frequency = Timeperiod
f =
T
16. Isochronous or Simple Harmonic: The vibration which has constant period, whether the
amplitude is large or small, is called isochronous vibration or simple harmonic motion.

Types of waves
17. The waves motions are two types:
1. Mechanical waves. Eg. Waves on water surfaces, waves on stretched string.
2. Electromagnetic waves. Light, Infra red, Ultra violet, X-rays, etc.
18. The propagation of disturbances from one particle to another in forward direction in a
medium is called mechanical waves.
19. Mechanical wave is two types:
1. Transverse wave : Transverse wave are ones in which the displacement of the particle is
at right angles to the direction of the wave motion.
2. Longitudinal Wave: Longitudinal wave are ones in which the displacement of the particle
is parallel to the direction of wave motion.

20. Properties & differences between transverse & longitudinal waves.

S.No Transverse Waves Longitudinal waves

1. The displacement of the particle is at
right angles to the direction of the wave
motion.
2. It moves in the form of crest & trough
alternatively
3. Transverse waves can pass through
solid & liquid but not through gas,
because gas has no intermolecular force.
4. Eg Waves on water surface, waves in
string
The displacement of the particle is
parallel to the direction of wave motion.
It moves in the form of compression &
rarefaction alternatively.
Longitudinal wave can pass through solid
liquid, and gas
Sound waves.

21. Progressive wave: A progressive wave or travelling wave is the movement of a disturbance
which carries energy away from a source.
22. Crest : The maximum displacement in positive direction.
23. Trough: The maximum displacement of particle in negative direction.
24. Compression: In longitudinal wave, when particles come close together the pressure
increase, called compression.
25. Rarefaction: In longitudinal wave. When particle move away from each other the pressure
decreases, called rarefaction.
26. The wave equation Wave speed = frequency x wavelength or c = f λ.

27. Properties of wave

1. It carries energy
2. the medium doesn’t travel with the wave
3. The particle displace by wave motion vibrate about rest position.
4. Each particle vibrates in the same way, but the vibration have a time lag in the direction of
travel of the wave.
5. The speed of a wave is not affected by the shape but affected by the nature of the medium
it travels.

28. Wave speed : The speed of a wave is

1. independent of the shape or amplitude
2. independent of its frequency or wavelength
3. dependent on the nature of the material it travel through.

29. Diffraction of waves: Diffraction is the spreading of waves round corners and edges of
barriers.
30. Waves can be reflected and refracted
31. Waves obey law of reflections
32. Waves travel slowly in shallow water than in deep water.
33. Ratio velocity of waves in two different mediums is
C1 1
=
C2 2
34. By plane reflector : The reflected wave front is also a circular wave front.
35. By concave reflector ; The reflected wave front is converging wave front converging at
focus
36. By convex reflector : The reflected wave front is diverging wave front with virtual focus.
37. Reflection of Circular wave front
38. By Plane reflector : The reflected wave front is circular diverging and appear to come from
virtual source
39. By Concave reflector ; The reflected wave front is straight wave front goes parallel to
principal axis.
40. By concave surface : The refracted wave fronts are converging circular wave front
converging at principal focus.
41. Refraction of Circular wave front
42. By concave Surface : The refracted wave front is converging circular wave front converging
to principal.
43. PROPERTIES OF SOUND
1. Sound is a form of energy.
2. Sound is longitudinal waves.
3. Sound requires medium for motion.
4. Sound doesn’t travel in vacuum
5. Sound travels through solid liquid and gas.
6. Sound wave can be reflected refracted, diffracted, interfered and polarized.
7. Velocity of sound in air is 330m/s.
8. Velocity of sound in gas depends on

1
a. density : velocity is inversely proportional to density c α More
density
the density less the speed
b. Temperature : Velocity is directly proportional to temperature in Kelvin
C α Temperature
C1 T1
Ratio of velocity in two different gas is = More the
C2 T2
temperature more the speed.
c. Frequency : Frequency or pitch does not affect the speed.
d. Pressure : Speed is not affected by pressure.
e. Amplitude : Amplitude doesn’t affect the speed.
f. Humidity : Speed is more in moist or humid air than dry air.
g. Wind speed : Speed of sound is increased, if wind is in the direction of sound,
decreased, if wind is in opposite direction of sound.

9. Frequency and pitch :Pitch depends on frequency. More the frequency more pitch.
10. Amplitude and Loudness : Loudness depends on amplitude. More the amplitude more the
loudness.
11. Amplitude and Intensity : The intensity is directly proportional to the square of wave
amplitude. I α a2
12. The intensity of sound wave is the rate at which it carries energy away from the source.
Through a unit area at right angles to the travel of the wave.

44. Acoustics
1. It is the branch of Physics to discuss the sound in the construction of cinema theatre.
2. Echo : The reflected sound is called an echo.
3. Reverberation. Continuation of sound after it is stopped.
4. Wood, Curtain, steel, furnishers, carpet etc are good absorber of sound.
5. Furnishers, curtains, ceiling, carpet are used to reduce the echo.

45. Sound travels faster in solids, slow in liquids and slower in gas.
46. A distance train can be heard through railway track rather than hearing its sound through air.

47. A bomb is exploded under water, name what type of wave is passed out
1. from the bottom to water surface
2. water surface to near by area.

48. Sound of frequency 1-20Hz cannot be heard by human hear, called infrasonic sound. This
range of sound is called inaudible range.
49. The sound of frequency between 20Hz to 20000Hz is called audible sound, This sound can
be heard by human hear.
50. The sound of frequency more than 20000Hz(20KHz) called Ultra-sonic sound.
51. Application of Ultrasonic sound

1. Bats use the ultrasonic waves to find direction of flight.

2. SONAR : The pulse echo technique used to find the depth of sea and presence of submarine
in the sea. The instrument used to produce the ultrasonic sound is called Fathometer.
3. In hospital it is used to find image of moving heart, and baby in the mother’s womb.
4. Ultrasonic spectacles used for blind person to estimate the distance away of something in
front of him.
52. STANDING WAVES/STATIONARY WAVES
1. When two traveling waves going in opposite direction are superposed and interfere, produce
standing wave or stationary wave.
2. The interference will form constructive and destructive interference leads to nodes and anti
nodes.
3. The wave doesn’t travel in the medium and energy is not transmitted.
4. The particle in the nodes have maximum displacement and that in antinodes have no
displacement.
5. The particle in same node and adjacent nodes have same phase.
53.
54. Fill the empty space and answer the following questions
 S. Wavelength Wave velocity Frequency Period
NO
A. 20m/s 0.3 μ s

B. 4500 mm 300m/s

C. 200cm 350Hz

D. 350m/s 300Hz

E. 420m/s 0.022MHz

F. 2m 15Hz

400mm 5s

2.5km 60min

5km 120min

2mm/s 2ms

5cm/s 500

0.036km/hr

Which of the above is a. Light waves _______________________

b. Sound waves _______________________

 c. Ultrasonic waves _______________________

d. Infrasonic _______________________

e. Infra red rays _______________________

55. Find the wavelength and frequency of a wave whose time period is 0.4 micro seconds and
velocity is 300000 km/s.
56. Find the frequency of a wave if its wave speed is 3000km/s and wavelength is 200cm.
57. From the given figures, find displacement, velocity wave length if frequency is 450Hz.
(m) A
3
2
1

0.04mm wavelength

Displacement _________________________ velocity _________________

Wavelength___________________________

4 B

0
4micrometre Wavelength

Displacement _________________________ velocity _________________

Wavelength___________________________
cm C
10

0 7mm Wavelength

Displacement _________________________ velocity _________________

Wavelength___________________________
 D
6

0 13/4cm Wavelength

Displacement _________________________ velocity _________________

Wavelength___________________________

58. Find the Wavelength, displacement and frequency of the wave in the figures below if the
velocity is 4m/s.
A

Wavelength ___________________________ Displacement____________________

Freqency _____________________________

B
4
2

0 3 μsecond Time

Wavelength__________________________ Displacement_____________________

Frequency __________________________
59.

Plane surface
 Plane surface

60. Complete the diffraction of wave front given in the picture

61. Name the wave used for

1. To detect luggage in air port _________________

2. To treat skin diseases _________________
3. Used in Radar _________________
4. Used for Radio communication _______________
5. Used in Sonar ________________
6. Used Sterilise medical equipment ______________
7. Used in GSM communication ________________
8. Used to find forgery _________________
9. Used to take photograph in haze ______________
10. To study crystal structure _______________
11. Used to take photograph by satellite ___________
12. Used for photosynthesis by plants _____________
13. Used of radio Astronomy _________________
14. Used for heating _________________
15. Used for treatment cancer __________________
16. To find flaws in metals _________________
17. Cause sun burns ________________
18. Used for cooking _________________
19. Coming in the welding _________________
20. Used in laser and optic fibre _________________
21.
62. Write the source(s) which produce
a. rays _____________
b. X rays _______________
c. UV rays ________________
d. Visible light ________________
e. IR rays ______________
f. Radio waves ________________
63. Name the instrument used to
 a. Detect gamma rays _____________
b. Detect X rays _____________
c. Detect IR rays ______________
d. Depth of sea ______________
e. Produce ultra sonic wave in Sonar ___________
64.

Fill in the blanks

1. A complete to and fro motion of called oscillation.

2. Wave is propagation of disturbances in the medium.

3. A wave requires medium to travel.

4. Simple pendulum is a metal bob connected with a light thread, the other end fixed to a hinge.

5. The vibration which has constant period, whether the amplitude is large or small, is called
isochronous vibration or simple harmonic motion.

6. One forward and backward swing of the pendulum in one oscillation.

7. Distance traveled for one oscillation is called wavelength.

8. The amplitude is the maximum displacement from the rest or central position in either
direction.

9. The distance travelled by wave for one full vibration/ oscillation is called wavelength.

10. Wave length is the distance between two successive particles which are at exactly the same
point in their paths at the same time and are moving in the same direction.

11. The unit of wavelength is metre.

12. The unit of time period is second.

13. The period is the time for one oscillation.

14. Number of vibration in one second is frequency.

15. Wave carries energy in the medium

16. Hertz is the unit of frequency.

17. Wave speed is the distance traveled in one second.

18. Wave speed = wave length x frequency

 19. Wave speed = Wave length
Time period

20. The unit of wave speed is metre/ second.

21. The speed of a wave is independent of the shape or amplitude.

22. The wave speed is independent of its frequency or wavelength

.
23. The wave speed is dependent on the nature of the material it travels through.

24. Progressive also called traveling wave.

25. A progressive wave carries energy in the medium.

26. The medium through which a wave travels does not travel with the wave.

27. The particle of the medium, displaced by the wave motion, vibrate about their rest position.

28. The progressive wave is two types. They are a. transverse wave and b. longitudinal wave.

29. Transverse wave are ones in which the displacement of the particle is at right angles to the
direction of the wave motion.

30. Longitudinal wave are ones in which the displacement of the particle is parallel to the
direction of wave motion.

31. In longitudinal wave, when particles come close together the pressure increase, called
compression.

32. In longitudinal wave. When particle move away from each other the pressure decreases,
called rarefaction.

33. Each particle in the wave motion vibrates in the same way.

34. Crest is the maximum displacement of particle in positive direction.

35. Trough is the maximum displacement of particle in negative direction.

36. Waves can be reflected and refracted.

37. Waves obey laws of reflection

38. Waves travel slowly in shallow water than in deep water.

39. Ratio velocity of waves in two different mediums is

 C1 1
=
C2 2

40. Diffraction is the spreading of waves round corners and edges of barriers.

41. The process of overlapping of two or more wave to from single wave is called interference.

42. Two kinds of interference 1. Constructive interference 2. Destructive interference.

43. Two waves combine to give large amplitude, called constructive interference.

44. Two waves combine to give small/ minimum amplitude called destructive interference.

1. The drawing shows a wave. Which labelled distance is

a. the wavelength?
b. the amplitude?
2. A drop of water from a tap falls onto the surface of some water of constant depth.Water
waves spread out on the surface of the water.

Which statement is true?

A The waves are longitudinal and travel at the same speed in all directions.
B The waves are longitudinal and travel more quickly in one direction than in others.
C The waves are transverse and travel at the same speed in all directions.
D The waves are transverse and travel more quickly in one direction than in others.

3. A student measures how far a cork moves up and down on a wave in a tank of water.
Which quantity can he obtain from his measurement?
A amplitude B frequency C speed D wavelength

4. A sound wave passes through the air, in the direction shown.

direction of travel of sound wave.

How does a particle of air move as the sound wave passes?

5. A woman tunes her radio to a station broadcasting on 200m.
What does the 200 m tell her about the radio wave?
A its amplitude B its frequency C its speed D its wavelength

6. Which of these waves is longitudinal?

A light waves B sound waves C water waves D X-ray waves

7. Radio waves are received at a house at the bottom of a hill. The waves reach the house
because the hill has caused them to be
A diffracted. B radiated. C reflected. D refracted

8. Waves move from deep water to shallow water where they are slower.
Which diagram shows what happens to the waves?

9. Water waves change direction when they move from shallow water to deep water.
What is the name of this effect?
 A diffraction B dispersion C reflection D refraction

10. What is the approximate range of audible frequencies for most humans?
A 10 Hz to 10 000 Hz B 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz
C 10 kHz to 10 000 kHz D 20 kHz to 20 000 kHz

11. 100 metre race is started by firing a gun. The gun makes a bang and a puff of smoke comes
out of the gun as shown. When does the finishing judge see the smoke and hear the bang?

12. A vertical stick is dipped up and down in water at P. In two seconds, three wave crests are
produced on the surface of the water.
 Which statement is true?
A Distance X is the amplitude of the waves. B Distance Y is the wavelength of the waves.
C Each circle represents a wavefront. D The frequency of the waves is 3Hz.

13. A girl stands in front of a rock face. The girl claps her hands once. The speed of sound in air
is 330m/ s. How long is it before she hears the echo?

2  660 660 330 330

A s B s C s D 2  660 s
330 330 660
14. A boy is stranded on an island 500m from the shore. He shouts for help, but all he can hear
in reply is the echo of his shout from some cliffs. Sound travels at 340m/ s through the air.
What is the time interval between the boy shouting and hearing the echo?

500 2 500 340 2 340

A s B s C s D s
340 340 500 500
15. The diagrams show four sources of waves. Which source generates longitudinal waves?

16. In a ripple tank, water waves move towards a barrier with a narrow gap.
Which diagram best shows the waves beyond the barrier?

17. Two astronauts without radios can only communicate in space if their helmets are touching.
There is no air in space. What does this show about sound?
18. Waves are sent along two long springs X and Y as shown.
How should the wave motions in X and Y be described?

19. The waves reach the house because the hill has caused them to be
A diffracted B radiated C reflected D refracted.

20. Which of the following can be heard by the human ear?

A A whistle emitting a wave of frequency 50 kHz.
B A bat emitting a wave of frequency of 30 kHz.
C An insect emitting a wave of 300 Hz.
D A vibrating spring emitting a wave of frequency of 5 Hz.
21. Radio waves are received at a house at the bottom of a hill.
The waves reach the house because the hill has caused them to be
A diffracted B radiated C reflected D refracted.

22. Boy A throws a large stone into a large still pond, as illustrated in Fig.

(a) Girl B hears the ‘plop’ sound of the stone entering the water a very short time after she
sees the splash, but it is many seconds before the water wave reaches the edge of the pond
where she is sitting.

Use this information to decide which wave travels fastest and which travels slowest.
Write ‘fastest’ in one box and ‘slowest’ in another box. Leave one box empty.
sound wave

light wave

water wave

(b) In the boxes below, state whether each type of wave is a transverse or a longitudinal
wave.
sound wave

light wave

water wave
 (c) In the boxes below, put a tick alongside any of the types of wave that do not need a
substance in which to travel.
sound wave

light wave

water wave

23. A girl is walking along a path 1600m from the rock-face of a quarry (a place where stone is
obtained).

(a) The quarry workers set off an explosion at X to break up some rock. The girl measures
the time interval between seeing the flash and hearing the bang. The time is 5.0 s.
(i) Calculate the speed of the sound.

speed of sound = ………….………..m/s

(ii) State what assumption you have made in your working in (i).
.....................................................................................................................................................

(b) Suppose the explosion had taken place at Y instead of X.

State two ways in which the girl’s observations would have been different.
1. .................................................................................................................................................
2. .................................................................................................................................................

24. Fig. shows plane waves passing through a gap in a barrier that is approximately equal to the
wavelength of the waves.
(a) What is the name given to the wave property shown in Fig.?
...................................................................................................................................................
(b) In the space below, carefully draw the pattern that would be obtained if the gap were
increased to six times the wavelength of the waves.
(c) The effect in Fig. 8.1 is often shown using water waves on the surface of a tank of
water.
These are transverse waves. Explain what is meant by a transverse wave.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
 25. A student wrote the following report about an experiment to measure the speed of sound in
air.
My friend and I went into a field a long way from any buildings and
measured the
distance across the field. My friend stood at one side of the field and I
stood at the other.
My friend banged two pieces of wood together, and as I saw him do this,
I started a
stopwatch. I stopped the stopwatch when I heard the sound. We
obtained the following
readings.
distance across field = 238m
time for sound to cross field = 0.7 s

(a) Why was it necessary to be a long way from any buildings?

........................................................................................................................................................
(b) Why was it necessary to use such a large distance?
........................................................................................................................................................
(c) Suggest what the students could have used to measure the distance across the field.
........................................................................................................................................................
(d) Why was there a delay between the student seeing the pieces of wood come together
and hearing the bang?
........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
(e) Use the readings to calculate the speed of sound.

speed of sound = ...........................

(f) Suggest why it might have been a good idea for the students to repeat the experiment
after they had exchanged positions.
........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................

26. (a) A sound wave in air is made up of compressions and rarefactions.

 (i) State what is meant by a compression.
...................................................................................................................................................
(ii) State what is meant by a rarefaction.
...................................................................................................................................................

(b) The distance between two consecutive rarefactions in a sound wave is 2.5 m. The
speed of sound in air is 330 m/s. Calculate the frequency of this sound wave.

frequency = ....................................
(c) A person makes a loud sound and hears the echo of this sound 1.2 s later. Calculate how
far the person is from the object causing the echo.
Assume that the speed of sound is 330m/ s.

distance =.......................................

27. (a) Fig. shows the air pressure variation along a sound wave.

(i) On AB in Fig. 5.1, mark one point of compression with a dot and the letter C and
the next point of rarefaction with a dot and the letter R.
(ii) In terms of the wavelength, what is the distance along the wave between a
compression and the next rarefaction?
...................................................................................................................................................

(b) A sound wave travels through air at a speed of 340 m/s. Calculate the frequency of a
sound wave of wavelength 1.3 m.

frequency = .........................

28. (a) Figs 6.1 and 6.2 show what happens to waves at two different types of boundary.
Complete the table below.
29. The speed of sound in air is 332 m/s. A man stands 249m from a large flat wall, as shown in
Fig. 9.1, and claps his hands once.
(a) Calculate the interval between the time when the man claps his hands and the time
when he hears the echo from the wall.

time interval = .......................... s

(b) A woman is standing 249m further away from the wall than the man. She hears the
clap twice, once directly and once after reflection from the wall.
How long after the man claps does she hear these two sounds? Tick two boxes.

0.75 s

1.50 s

2.25 s

3.00 s

30. (a) Fig.1 shows a machine for making loud sounds. It is called a siren. This consists of a
rotating disc with 25 holes. As each hole passes the jet, a puff of air passes through the hole.
 Fig 1

(i) How many puffs of air will there be during one revolution of the disc?

number of puffs = ....................

(ii) The disc rotates 40 times per second.
Show that the frequency of the note produced by the siren is 1000 Hz.

Fig 2
(b) The siren described in (a) is located some distance from a large building, as shown in
Fig 2
The siren is briefly sounded once. A short time later, the sound is heard again.
(i) Why is this second sound heard?
..................................................................................................................................
(ii) What is the frequency of this second sound? Tick one box.
 less than 1000 Hz
 1000 Hz
 more than 1000 Hz

(iii) What is the amplitude of this second sound? Tick one box.
 less than the original sound
 the same as the original sound
 more than the original sound

31. The speed of sound in air is 340 m/s.

 (a) Complete the table to show how far a sound wave has travelled 2, 3, 4 and 5 seconds
after the sound was made.

Fig. 7
(b) On Fig. 1, draw the graph of distance travelled against time for the sound wave.

Fig 1
(c) A ship is sinking in the dark as shown in Fig. 2

Fi
g2
The sailors on the ship fire a distress flare into the air. It explodes with a bang and a
bright flash of light.

(i) A lifeboat crew hear the bang and see the flash, but not at the same time.
 State which reaches the lifeboat first, the bang or the flash, and give a reason.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
(ii) The time interval in (c)(i) is 4.2 s. Use your graph in (b) to find how far away the lifeboat
is from the flare. Show clearly on your graph how you got your answer.

distance of lifeboat = ..................................m

ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

32. Which statement is correct about the speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?
A Ultra-violet waves have the greatest speed. B Visible light waves have the greatest speed.
C Infra-red waves have the greatest speed. D All electromagnetic waves have the same
speed.

33. Which statement is correct about the speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?
A Ultra-violet waves have the greatest speed.
B Visible light waves have the greatest speed.
C Infra-red waves have the greatest speed.
D All electromagnetic waves have the same speed.
34. Which type of radiation lies between visible light and microwaves in the electromagnetic
spectrum?
A infra-red B radio waves C ultra-violet D X-rays
35. Fig. shows the various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Two of the regions
have been labelled.

(a) In the boxes provided, write the names of the other regions.
(b) Only one of the following types of wave is not an electromagnetic wave.
Tick one box to show which type of wave is not electromagnetic.

Microwave

Radar

Sound

Radio visible
36.
37. dfb
38. df
39. dfb
40.

41.