• Be able to
recall and use the law of reflection.
• Be able to
describe the circumstances required for
refraction to occur.
• Be able to
explain the process of refraction,
using scientific ideas about waves.
Task 1 - Starter
I know the answer!
Find someone who knows:
1) The seven types of
electromagnetic wave, in order.
2) Which type of EM wave has
the longest wavelength.
3) Which type of EM wave has
the lowest frequency.
4) Which type of EM wave has
the highest energy.
5) Which type of EM wave
travels fastest.
Your teacher will tell you which questions to discuss.
Task 2 - Reflection
Lots of waves!
Waves can be reflected
when they hit a shiny surface. Your teacher will show you a laser
being reflected from a plane mirror.
You will have studied
reflection in year 8. You may already know the law of reflection.
You need to be able to draw accurate diagrams of reflection for your
GCSE examination.
Write the title "Reflection"
in your exercise book. Copy the law of reflection
and the diagram below into your book. You will need to draw
the diagram carefully, using a sharp pencil and a ruler.
The law of
reflection:
"The angle of reflection is
always equal to (the same as) the angle of incidence"
When you have completed your
diagram, draw a second diagram for light reflected
with a greater angle of incidence.
Task 3 - Images formed in a mirror
My brain uses electrical waves.
When we look in a mirror, it
looks as if there is an image inside the mirror - but of course, it is
not really there! We call it a virtual
image. The image formed is upright, but appears to have been flipped
horizontally, as if right and left have been reversed. We say the
image is laterally inverted.
The
image formed in a mirror is virtual, upright
and laterally inverted.
Teacher note: there is a copy
of the diagram available
here, if
required.
Task 4 - Investigating refraction
Light, and other waves, can
also change direction when they encounter a change in medium. This
is known as refraction.
Follow the instructions on
this sheet to investigate how the path of the light changes as it
travels through a glass block.
When you have completed the
task complete the diagram on
this sheet, and fill in the missing words in the text.
Homework
Let's catch some waves!
1) Complete
the path of the reflected ray in each ofthese diagrams.
Click the image below to download this task as a word document.
• Measure
angles carefully, using a protractor.
• Label
your diagram to show the normal.
• Label
the angle of incidence.
• Label
the angle of reflection.
• Draw
arrows to show the direction of the incident and reflected rays.
2)Find out
how refraction is used in a lens, and
three examples of devices which use lenses.