I am feeling worried about what topics I should spend time revising for the Level 2 Waves exam. Often Study Guides provide a lot of information but some of it won’t actually be tested in the exam. I want to make sure that I don’t waste time revising things which won’t be in the exam.
In reference to the ESA Study Guide Level 2 Physics (latest version), are the following topics relevant to be tested in the Level 2 Waves Standard?
Dispersion - refraction by prism (anything to do with prisms) (pg 86 - 87)
Images formed in two mirrors and 90 degrees to each other (pg 68)
Hi, thanks for the question. The achievement standard provides a very rough and general guide to what will be in the exam:
Light:
reflection in curved mirrors
refraction through lenses
refraction
total internal reflection
critical angle at a plane boundary.
Waves:
reflection and refraction at a plane boundary including phase and wave parameter
changes if applicable
superposition of pulses
diffraction through a slit
2-point source interference (qualitative).
From this we can reasonably assume that dispersion will not be examined. I’m not confident in excluding anything else: the standards are so vague that it’s impossible to say. My advice is to be thoroughly familiar with the basic principles and be able to apply them in unfamiliar contexts. Good luck.