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Conceptual understanding: different perspectives and experimental work led to the development of differing logical approaches to explaining energy transfer in waves.
Conceptual understanding: different perspectives and experimental work led to the development of differing logical approaches to explaining energy transfer in waves.
Global context: scientific and technical - how do we gather and interpret information from space.
Global context: scientific and technical - how do we gather and interpret information from space.
Unit Structure
Unit Structure
Strand 1: Wave nature
Energy can be transformed but is conserved in an isolated system.
Waves move energy in different ways, depending on the medium.
Energy from a point source disperses (change) as it moves away from the source.
Inquiry questions:
How do we describe light? (F)
How can we measure the speed of a wave? (F)
How does wave motion differ to motion already encountered? (C)
What is the difference between energy and information? (C)
What do waves move through? (D)
Strand 2: Wave action
Scientists have developed different models to explain wave behaviour.
Waves move energy in different ways, depending on the medium.
Inquiry questions:
How do we show the movement of energy? (F)
How is a rainbow formed? (F)
What colour scatters the most through water (eg when diving)? (F)
Why do we have different particle models for reflection, refraction, and diffraction? (C)
Which model/description of light is better (rays, wavefronts, stream of photons)? (D)
Strand 3: Wave applications
Devices can be built to enable communication and observation.
Inquiry questions:
How do lenses work in telescopes? (F)
Why are mirrors preferred to lenses? (F)
How do we get colour pictures (nebula etc) from space? (F)
Why can we not see UV and IR? (F)
Do we all perceive colour in the same way? (C)
How do we know c is the cosmic speed limit? (C)
What does it mean when we say that looking through space is looking back through time? (C)
What are the advantages and disadvantages to global communication? (D)
Approaches to Learning:
Approaches to Learning:
Thinking - Critical - Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues (focus on modelling waves as particles or field disturbances)
Thinking - Critical - Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues (focus on modelling waves as particles or field disturbances)
Thinking - Critical - Evaluate evidence and arguments (focus on evaluation of investigation)
Applications and skills:
Applications and skills:
Draw a simple wave diagram annotating crest trough, amplitude and wavelength.
Derive and use the equation v = f λ.
Draw ray diagrams for reflection and refraction.
Draw wavefront diagrams for reflection and refraction.
Use Snell’s law to determine the refractive index of a material, and critical angle of a material.
Describe the role of refraction in dispersion.
Describe the main parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, their common properties, and uses.
Use ray diagrams to show how lenses work.
Determine the focal length, power, and magnification of a thin lens.
Assessments:
Assessments:
Formative quick quiz on wave characteristics (15 min) (AS 1-2).
Formative task - intensity (AS 1).
Formative task - reflection (AS 4-5).
Formative task - refraction (AS 4-5).
Summative lab - Snell’s Law (AS 3-5).
Summative quick quiz (15 min) (AS 1-6).
Formative task - EM spectrum (AS 7).
Summative task - build a telescope and explain how it works using ray diagrams (AS 8-9).
Comparison to other international Grade 10 Courses
Comparison to other international Grade 10 Courses
eMYP (The Grade 10 IB Physics Course): Waves (longitudinal and transverse waves, sound waves; wave phenomena including reflection, refraction, diffraction; wave equation; electromagnetic spectrum, imaging and applications)
iGCSE Grade 10 Course (Cambridge 2023-25 Syllabus): the relevant sections are copied below
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