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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
1. Maxwell and Classical Electromagnetism

Learn Summary:

1. Why is Maxwell’s work described as a ‘unifying theory’?

2. Outline the work of Orsted and Faraday in the development of electromagnetism:
3. Outline the work of Maxwell and his development the Theory of Electromagnetism:
4. What became an accepted feature of light as a consequence Maxwell’s work:
5. After developing his theory, what did Maxwell predict?
6. Outline Maxwell’s four Laws that form the basis for his Theory of Electromagnetism:
7. Outline why Maxwell’s theory predicted that an electromagnetic wave would exist:
8. Draw a diagram to illustrate the properties of an electromagnetic wave:
9. What led physicists to believe that light was part of the electromagnetic spectrum?
10. What is the wave equation as it relates to electromagnetic radiation?
11. What is the frequency of red light which has a wavelength of 620nm?

Practice:
1. What were two major predictions as a result of the theory of electromagnetism?
2. Blue light has a frequency of 6.6 × 1014 Hz. What is the wavelength of blue light?

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
2. The Production and Propagation of Electromagnetic Waves

Learn Summary:

1. Explain how an electromagnetic wave is produced:

2. What does it mean when we describe an electromagnetic wave as self-propagating?
3. What determines the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave when it is produced?
4. Outline the history of Maxwell’s contributions to the electromagnetic spectrum leading to Hertz’s
discovery of radio waves.
5. Draw a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum, indicating the approximate wavelengths and
frequencies of each band:
6. Why do electromagnetic waves travel most efficiently through space?
7. Explain why electromagnetic waves travel slower through other media such as water and glass:

Practice:
1. Why do power transmission lines produce electromagnetic waves?
2. A radio wave is transmitted at 80 kHz toward a receiving antenna. At what frequency will the
electrons oscillate at?
3. A student sets up equipment in a lab to produce and measure radio waves as a current travels
through a conductor. Explain why the student observes no electromagnetic radiation using a DC
current.

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
3. The Speed of Light

Learn Summary:

1. What was the early idea that scientists believed about light?
2. Briefly outline how Galileo attempted to measure the speed of light. Discuss the result for c in your
response:
3. Briefly outline how Ole Romer attempted to measure the speed of light. Discuss the result for c in
your response:
4. Briefly outline how Louis Fizeau attempted to measure the speed of light. Discuss the result for c in
your response:
5. Briefly outline how Leon Foucault attempted to measure the speed of light. Discuss the result for c
in your response:
6. Briefly outline how Louis Essen and AC Gordon-Smith attempted to measure the speed of light.
Discuss the result for c in your response:
7. What is the SI value for c and what is its connection to the metre?

Practice:
1. If Galileo had his assistant stand 2km away when he attempted to measure the speed of light with
lamps, what time would he have recorded if he was to accurately measure the speed of light?
2. If Fizeau was to conduct his experiment by reflecting a light beam from a surface 19km away, how
many times per second would the disc need to rotate if it had a radius of 20cm and the teeth were
1mm wide in order to block the returning light beam?

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
4. Spectroscopy and Stars

Learn Summary:

1. What does a spectroscope do and how does it work?

2. How does an incandescent filament work?
3. Outline the spectra emitted from an incandescent filament:
4. How does a discharge tube work?
5. Why are fluorescent lights more efficient than incandescent lights?
6. Outline the spectra emitted from a fluorescent light tube:
7. Outline the spectra observed when sunlight reflects off an object:
8. Outline the differences between the cause and observations made for a continuous, absorption
and emission spectrum. Draw a diagram to support your answer:
9. Outline how an emission spectra is used to identify elements:
10. Outline how the observed spectra of a star can provide information on its surface temperature:
11. Outline how the observed spectra of a star can provide information on its rotational velocity:
12. Outline how the observed spectra of a star can provide information on its density:
13. Outline how the observed spectra of a star can provide information on its chemical composition:

Practice:
1. Identify the elements (A, D or Z) present in the gas mixture that the light in the spectrum below
has passed through. The lines shown are absorption lines.

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2. Sketch the intensity spectrum of the Sun and add to your sketch the intensity spectrum of a hotter
star.

3. The diagram below illustrates the spectrum of gases in the laboratory and the spectrum from a
star, W. What can we determine about the star from these spectra?

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
5. Newton and Huygens

Learn Summary:

1. Outline Newton’s theory on light:

2. Outline Huygens theory on light:
3. Give two reasons why Newton’s theory was widely accepted:
4. What is the importance of diffraction, interference and polarisation to Huygens theory?
5. Outline diffraction, interference and polarisation:
6. Explain Huygens theory of light using a diagram to support your answer:
7. Outline Youngs double slit experiment. Draw a diagram to support your answer:
8. How did Foucault’s experiment contradict Newton’s theory on light?

Practice:
1. The diagram below illustrates three wavefront moving from left to right. On the diagram, draw in a
series of 4 secondary wavelets and the resulting new wave formed after one period:

2. The diagram below illustrates three wavefront moving outward in a circular path from a source. On
the diagram, draw in a series of secondary wavelets and the resulting new wave formed after one
period:

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3. For Newton and Huygens theory on light, draw diagrams to illustrate the differences that would be
expected to be observed when a wave front approaches a barrier as shown below:

Newton Huygens

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
6. Interference and Young’s Experiment

Learn Summary:

1. When does interference occur?

2. What is the difference between constructive and destructive interference? Draw a diagram to
support your answer:
3. What was Huygens link to light and interference?
4. How did Thomas Young support Huygens observations and predictions?
5. Outline Young’s experiment. Draw a diagram to support your answer:
6. Draw a diagram to illustrate how light and dark bands form as a result of a change in path
difference of the interfering waves:
7. Outline how constructive and destructive interference occurs in terms of path difference and
wavelength:
8. Draw a diagram that illustrates the geometry of Young’s experiment:
9. What is the equation that is used to analyse Young’s experiment? Include a description of variables
and units:
10. What is another equation that is used to determine the distance between bright spots? Include a
description of the extra variables and units:
11. A light source produces monochromatic light of wavelength 540 nm. The light falls on parallel,
vertical slits that are 0.075mm apart, an interference pattern is observed on a screen 2.00m away.
The pattern shows a series of bright and dark bands.
a) Determine the angle of the first-order maximum, and the distance on the screen of that maximum
from the central maximum.
b) Determine the distance from the central maximum to the fourth-order maximum.

Practice:
1. Light of wavelength 540nm is incident on a pair of vertical slits. The distance between the centre of
the two slits is 0.0426mm. The screen is placed 0.860 m from the slits. What is the distance from the
central maximum to the first-order bright spot on the screen?

2. Green laser light is directed through a pair of thin slits that are 25 µm apart. The slits are 1.5 m
from a screen on which bright fringes are 3.3 cm apart. Calculate the wavelength of the green laser
light in nm.

3. A laser produces light with a wavelength of 720 nm. The light falls on parallel, vertical slits that are
25m apart, an interference pattern is observed on a screen 1.45m away. The pattern shows a series
of bright and dark bands.
a) Determine the angle of the first-order maximum, and the distance on the screen of that maximum
from the central maximum.
b) Determine the distance from the central maximum to the third-order maximum.

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
7. Polarisation and Malus’s Law

Learn Summary:

1. What is the polarisation of light?

2. What are the features of unpolarised light? Draw a diagram to support your answer:
3. How does the polarisation of light support Huygen’s theory of light?
4. Describe how the polarisation of light occurs. Draw a diagram to support your answer:
5. Outline the differences when polarised light passes through an analysing filter which is parallel to
the plane of the polarised light and also perpendicular to the polarised light.
6. What happens when light passes through an analysing filter which is at angle other than parallel or
perpendicular to the polarised light?
7. What is Malus’s law? Include a description of units and variables:
8. Polarised light with an intensity of 100cd passes through a analysing filter at an angle of 35° to the
plane of the incident light. Calculate the intensity of the light as it passes through the polarising filter:

Practice:
1. Polarised light with an intensity of 40cd passes through a analysing filter at an angle of 72° to the
plane of the incident light. Calculate the intensity of the light as it passes through the polarising filter:
2. At what angle must an analysing filter be orientated at for the intensity of the light to be 50% of its
original intensity?
3. A student placed two polarising filters together to reduce the intensity of light passing through
them. They were originally placed at an angle of 10° and the student still wanted to reduce the
intensity of the light. At what angle should the student place the analysing filter if they want the light
intensity to be 1/5 of the intensity when the angle was 10°?

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
8. Blackbody Radiation and Wein’s Law

Learn Summary:

1. Outline how atoms are able to radiate electromagnetic radiation:

2. Outline the features of the radiation emitted by a body that is above 0K:
3. As an object becomes hotter, what are two main features of the emitted radiation that change?
4. Outline the concept of a blackbody:
5. Why is it said that a blackbody will emit a continuous spectrum of radiation?
6. Outline the features of a black body curve. Draw a diagram to illustrate your answer:
7. What did classical theory predict and what is the ultraviolet catastrophe?
8. What does the peak intensity of a blackbody curve represent?
9. How did Max Planck explain the experimental observations of black body curves?
10. Outline the equation Planck used to represent a quanta of energy. Include a description of
variables and units:
11. Outline Wein’s Law. Include the equation and a description of variables and units:
12. How much energy does a photon from the visible spectrum have if it has a frequency of 7.2 × 10 14
Hz?
13. Lava from a volcanic eruption glows a dull red colour and emits light with a wavelength of 1.2 μm.
What is the surface temperature of the lava?

Practice:
1. How much energy does a photon from the visible spectrum have if it has a frequency of 4.72 × 1014
Hz?
2. How much energy does a photon from the ultraviolet spectrum have if it has a wavelength of
50nm?
3. The surface temperature of the Sun is approximately 5800 K. What is the wavelength of the most
intense light emitted by the surface of the Sun?
4. The temperature of a vehicle monitored by an infra-red camera is 20C. What is the energy of a
photon that is detected by this camera?

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
9. Photoelectric Effect

Learn Summary:

1. What is the photoelectric effect?

2. What are photoelectrons?
3. Describe how the photoelectric effect could be observed. Draw a diagram to support your answer:
4. What were four findings that Lenard discovered with his study of the photoelectric effect?
5. What were the two features of the incident light that caused these observations?
6. What is the relationship between work function and threshold frequency. Include an equation and
a description of variables and units:
7. Under which conditions can photoelectrons gain kinetic energy and be emitted from the surface of
a cathode metal?
8. Calculate the energy that a photon with a wavelength of 480nm has in a) joules b) eV
9. Calculate the work function (in J) for magnesium if it has a threshold frequency of 8.84 × 1014 Hz:
10. Calculate the kinetic energy (in J and eV) of photoelectrons emitted from aluminium when
ultraviolet light with a frequency of 2.1 × 1015 Hz strikes its surface. Aluminium has a work function of
6.50 × 10−19 J.

Practice:
1. Calculate the energy that a photon with a wavelength of 90nm has in a) joules b) eV
2. In a photoelectric effect experiment, the stopping voltage has a magnitude of 4.2V. What is the
maximum kinetic energy of the emitted photoelectrons?
3. Calculate the work function (in J) for copper if it has a threshold frequency of 1.135 × 1015 Hz:
4. Calculate the kinetic energy (in J and eV) of photoelectrons emitted from zinc when
ultraviolet light with a frequency of 3.65 × 1015 Hz strikes its surface. Zinc has a work function of
6.90 × 10−19 J.

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
10. Einstein’s Postulates

Learn Summary:

1. What is a frame of reference?

2. Outline a situation where observers in different frames of reference would describe an event
differently:
3. What is an inertial frame of reference?
4. Outline the concept of relativity:
5. Outline features of the proposed aether:
6. Outline the work of Michelson and Morley in detecting the aether and why their experiment was
considered a null result:
7. How did Einstein resolve the issue of the aether?
8. What were Einstein’s two postulates?
9. What assumptions did Einstein make in order for his postulates be true?
10: Outline the evidence for Einstein’s postulates:

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
11. Time Dilation and Length Contraction

Learn Summary:

1. What are relativistic speeds?

2. What are thought experiments and when are they useful?
3. Outline the two thought experiments conducted by Einstein:
4. Outline the two frames of reference considered when dealing with relativity problems and what is
considered as proper time and length:
5. Outline the idea of time dilation:
6. Outline the equation used to calculate time dilation, including a description of variables and units:
7. Outline the idea of length contraction:
8. What is the link between length contraction and the dimension that an object is travelling?
9. Outline the equation used to calculate length contraction, including a description of variables and
units:
10. Describe the two ways that velocity could be described in problems:
11. A stationary hare on Earth measures a very fast turtle travelling down the path at 2.65 x 108 ms-1.
In the turtle’s frame of reference, 15.00 s are observed for this event. Calculate how many seconds
pass by on the stationary observer’s clock during this observation.
12. A stationary observer on Earth watched a spaceship fly past at 0.8c and recorded its length to be
40m. How long would an observer on the spaceship measure the length to be?

Practice:
1. A stationary observer measures a rocket travelling past Earth at 0.92c. In the rockets frame of
reference, a clock measures a time interval of 60 seconds. Calculate how many seconds
are recorded by the observer on Earth.
2. A stationary observer on Earth watched a spaceship fly past at 2.88 x 108 ms-1. An astronaut on the
spaceship measures the length of the spaceship to be 160m. How long would the observer on Earth
measure the length to be?

3. A stationary observer on Earth measures the length of a very fast truck to be 7.9m. The driver of
the truck measures the length to be 25m. Calculate the speed of the truck as seen by the stationary
observer:

4. The nearest star, apart from the Sun, is 4.2 light-years away.
a) How far is it to that star according to astronauts in a spacecraft travelling at 0.9c?
b) How long would it take to get there in this spacecraft?
c) How long would it take according to observers on Earth?

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
12. Relativistic Momentum and Maximum Velocity

Learn Summary:

1. What happens to the mass of an object as its speed approaches relativistic speeds?
2. Outline the equation for relativistic mass. Include a description of symbols and units:
3. What happens to the mass of an object as its speed approaches relativistic speeds?
4. Outline the equation for relativistic momentum. Include a description of symbols and units:
5. Outline two consequences that Einstein proposed as a result of relativistic momentum:
6. Outline the consequences of relativistic momentum for particle accelerators:
7. What is the momentum of a proton moving at 0.85c relative to an observer?

Practice:
1. Calculate the momentum of an electron moving at 2.45  108 m/s relative to a target:
2. At what speed is a particle moving if its relativistic mass is 4.5 times its rest mass?

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Year 12 Physics
Module: The Nature of Light
13. Einstein’s Mass-Energy Equivalence

Learn Summary:

1. Outline Einstein’s idea of mass-energy equivalence:

2. Outline Einstein’s rest energy equation. Include a description of units and variables:
3. Use an example to describe how energy can be created during fusion reactions in the Sun:
4. Outline how the positron-electron annihilation results in the emission of energy:
5. Outline how the combustion of conventional fuel results in the emission of energy:
6. How do nuclear and chemical reactions differ in the amount of energy that is released:
7. How much energy is released during an electron-positron annihilation? The rest mass of an
electron and a positron is 9.1 × 10−31 kg.

Practice:
1. In a particular reaction in the Sun, a proton fuses with deuterium. 20MeV are produced as a result
of this nuclear reaction.
a) How much energy is released in joules?
b) How much mass is lost as a result of this reaction?
2. 8.16 MeV were released as a result of a number of electron-positron annihilations. How many
particles were involved to produce this energy?
3. When 1kg of coal is burnt it releases 3.4 × 107 J of energy. How much mass is lost when 1 tonne of
coal is burnt in a power station?

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