3.11 identify the order of the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of decreasing wavelength and increasing frequency, including the colours of the visible spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum is grouped into seven types of waves that have different wavelengths. The order is...

Radio waves (longest wavelength)
Microwaves
Infrared waves
Visible Light
Ultraviolet
X-Rays
Gamma rays (shortest wavelength)

NOTE: I use this song to remember the order... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPwG4zZNOu4


The colours of the visible light spectrum also depend on wavelength. The order is

Red (longest wavelength)
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet

NOTE: a good way to remember this is Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain (sorry, may only work for english students as we learn this is history when were like 5 but if you can, try and remember it. Otherwise, if you have any other acronyms that are easy to remember, please comment them!)

3.10 understand that light is part of a continuous electromagnetic spectrum which includes radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma ray radiations and that all these waves travel at the same speed in free space

The electromagnetic spectrum is a range of different frequency waves. The spectrum is split into radio, micro, infrared, light, ultra violet, x-ray and gamma. All of these waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum, they are also all transverse waves.

3.9 understand that waves can be diffracted through gaps, and that the extent of diffraction depends on the wavelength and the physical dimension of the gap

The size of the gap relative to the size of the wavelength is also important...

3.8 understand that waves can be diffracted when they pass an edge

When a wave meets an obstacle, it could be reflected, refracted or diffracted.

If they are diffracted this just means that the edges of the waves 'bend' to get through gaps, this causes the waves to spread out and allows for waves to travel around corners.

The amount of diffraction depends on the size of the gap relative and the wavelength of the wave, the narrower the gap or the longer the wavelength, the more the wave spreads out

Here's what happens...

3.6 use the relationship between frequency and time period

frequency = 1 / time period


f = 1 / T 

(yes, its a capital T)

3.5 know and use the relationship between the speed, frequency and wavelength of a wave

wave speed = frequency x wavelength

In symbols: v = f x λ

3.4 understand that waves transfer energy without transferring matter

Waves carry/transfer every in the direction they're traveling in. For example, microwaves in an oven make things warm up. This is because they transfer heat energy to the food that is in the oven. However, microwaves do not transfer any particles or matter or anything to the food, just energy.