Need help with Physics - Communication with Transverse Waves (AQA)? Ask our AI Tutor!

AI Tutor - Lucy

Connecting with Tutor...

Please wait while we establish connection

Hi! I'm Lucy, your AI tutor. How can I help you with Physics - Communication with Transverse Waves (AQA) today?

now

Science Quiz - Physics - Communication with Transverse Waves (AQA) (Questions)

Transverse waves carry information for radio, TV and mobile phones. Learn how amplitude, frequency and digital pulses are used to send clear signals over long distances.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Modulation puts information onto a carrier. AM varies amplitude, FM varies frequency, digital schemes change discrete states.

In GCSE Science (Physics), you learn how radio, microwave and light waves are used for communication. You study analogue and digital signals, modulation and the way transverse waves carry information across large distances.

Key Terms

Transverse wave: A wave where the vibrations are at right angles to the direction the wave travels.
Modulation: Changing a carrier wave so that it carries information, such as sound or data.
Carrier wave: A radio or other wave that is altered to send signals in communication systems.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are transverse waves used for in communication?

Transverse electromagnetic waves are used to carry signals in radio, television, mobile phones and Wi-Fi. Information is added to the waves and then decoded by receivers at the other end.

What is modulation in GCSE Physics?

In GCSE Physics, modulation means changing a carrier wave so it carries information. This can be done by varying amplitude, frequency or switching digital states on and off.

What is the difference between analogue and digital signals?

Analogue signals vary smoothly, like changing voltage for sound. Digital signals use two or more discrete levels, often called on and off, which makes them less affected by noise.

Try These Related Quizzes

1.

Which of the following members of the electromagnetic spectrum has the longest wavelength?

[ ]	Visible light
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves
[ ]	Radio waves

2.

Which of the following members of the electromagnetic spectrum has the highest frequency?

[ ]	Gamma radiation
[ ]	X-rays
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves

3.

Which of the following is used in remote control devices for TV's, radios and similar appliances?

[ ]	Gamma radiation
[ ]	X-rays
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves

4.

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of wireless communication?

[ ]	The signals can be blocked by thick walls
[ ]	Wireless devices must be in range of the transmitter
[ ]	Wireless devices can be made to be portable
[ ]	Atmospheric conditions can cause a loss of signal

5.

Which type of electromagnetic radiation can be reflected by the ionosphere, a layer of charged particles in the Earth's atmosphere?

[ ]	Visible light
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves
[ ]	Radio waves

6.

Which type of electromagnetic radiation travels the slowest?

[ ]	They all travel at the same speed
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves
[ ]	Radio waves

7.

Which of the following is not a way that infrared radiation is used to transmit or receive information?

[ ]	DVD remote control
[ ]	Radiant heater
[ ]	Optical fibre broadband Internet
[ ]	Security lights

8.

Why are microwaves used for communicating with satellites?

[ ]	Microwaves are not refracted by the Earth's atmosphere
[ ]	Microwaves are refracted by the Earth's atmosphere
[ ]	Microwaves are the only waves that can travel through space
[ ]	Other types of wave are not powerful enough to reach that far

9.

Why do mobile telephone users need to be in line of sight with a transmitter to get a signal?

[ ]	Radio waves cannot be diffracted
[ ]	Microwaves have too short a wavelength to be diffracted
[ ]	Infrared radiation is absorbed by trees, buildings and people
[ ]	Microwaves are easily bent upwards into space

10.

Why do some people object to mobile telephone masts being erected near their homes?

[ ]	They interfere with TV signals
[ ]	They make a loud humming noise
[ ]	They believe that the microwaves are harmful to health
[ ]	They attract a lot of birds which leave their droppings on their houses and cars

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Transverse and longitudinal waves - AQA

Science Quiz - Physics - Communication with Transverse Waves (AQA) (Answers)

1.

Which of the following members of the electromagnetic spectrum has the longest wavelength?

[ ]	Visible light
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves
[x]	Radio waves

The waves used by radio stations usually have wavelengths of between 1 m and 1 km

2.

Which of the following members of the electromagnetic spectrum has the highest frequency?

[x]	Gamma radiation
[ ]	X-rays
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves

This form of electromagnetic wave cannot be used for communication because it carries too much energy and is harmful to living things

3.

Which of the following is used in remote control devices for TV's, radios and similar appliances?

[ ]	Gamma radiation
[ ]	X-rays
[x]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves

It is effective over short distances but cannot be used for long distance communication through the atmosphere

4.

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of wireless communication?

[ ]	The signals can be blocked by thick walls
[ ]	Wireless devices must be in range of the transmitter
[x]	Wireless devices can be made to be portable
[ ]	Atmospheric conditions can cause a loss of signal

Wireless communication can be used on almost any scale, from communication with satellites in deep space to a wireless network in the home

5.

Which type of electromagnetic radiation can be reflected by the ionosphere, a layer of charged particles in the Earth's atmosphere?

[ ]	Visible light
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves
[x]	Radio waves

It is the shorter radio wavelengths that reflect the best

6.

Which type of electromagnetic radiation travels the slowest?

[x]	They all travel at the same speed
[ ]	Infrared radiation
[ ]	Microwaves
[ ]	Radio waves

All electromagnetic radiation travels at the same speed - the speed of light. The exact figure depends on what it is passing through and it is fastest in a vacuum

7.

Which of the following is not a way that infrared radiation is used to transmit or receive information?

[ ]	DVD remote control
[x]	Radiant heater
[ ]	Optical fibre broadband Internet
[ ]	Security lights

For security lights the transmitter is a person's body. All objects above the temperature of absolute zero emit (give out) infrared radiation

8.

Why are microwaves used for communicating with satellites?

[x]	Microwaves are not refracted by the Earth's atmosphere
[ ]	Microwaves are refracted by the Earth's atmosphere
[ ]	Microwaves are the only waves that can travel through space
[ ]	Other types of wave are not powerful enough to reach that far

There are certain wavelengths of microwave that can pass through the atmosphere without being refracted

9.

Why do mobile telephone users need to be in line of sight with a transmitter to get a signal?

[ ]	Radio waves cannot be diffracted
[x]	Microwaves have too short a wavelength to be diffracted
[ ]	Infrared radiation is absorbed by trees, buildings and people
[ ]	Microwaves are easily bent upwards into space

Firstly, you need to know that microwaves are used for mobile telephone communication. Waves can only be diffracted (travel round corners) if the object they are going round or the gap through which they are passing is comparable in size to their wavelength. Since their wavelengths are less than 1 m, microwaves are not diffracted sufficiently by large objects like hills to reach people not directly in line with the mast

10.

Why do some people object to mobile telephone masts being erected near their homes?

[ ]	They interfere with TV signals
[ ]	They make a loud humming noise
[x]	They believe that the microwaves are harmful to health
[ ]	They attract a lot of birds which leave their droppings on their houses and cars

There is concern that microwave radiation from mobile phones and masts may be harmful to health. This is not accepted by everybody because the strength and intensity of the microwaves transmitted from mobile telephone towers is too low to damage tissues by heating and is not ionising radiation which means it not likely to cause cancer