Fiducia TogetherWaves
Transverse and longitudinal, and the properties every wave has.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
A wave transfers energy without transferring matter. Transverse waves oscillate perpendicular to the direction of travel (light, water); longitudinal waves oscillate parallel to it (sound).
Wave speed = frequency × wavelength.
Where it applies
GCSE physics and combined science.
How it works
Amplitude is maximum displacement from rest; wavelength the distance between corresponding points; frequency the number of waves per second in hertz; period the time for one wave.
The electromagnetic spectrum runs radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma — increasing frequency, decreasing wavelength.
How to use it in your work
"Transfers energy without transferring matter" is a mark on its own; write it.
Learn the EM spectrum in order with one use and one danger for each — that is the standard question.
Check units before using the wave equation: wavelength in metres, frequency in hertz.
Where to get help
Your teacher, your board's specification for the depth required at your tier, and Bitesize for the diagrams. The subject song runs the topics in order.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Physics Song The GCSE physics specification, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.