Skip to content
    Physics A-Level

    Redshift

    What Redshift means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA.

    Definitions of Redshift

    Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.

    Check what you remember

    Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Redshift in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.

    Reference: AQA

    A shift of spectral lines that gives the recession speed, often using Δλ/λ₀ = v/c for speeds much less than c.
    AQA · Hubble's law (A-level only) (study guide)
    Observed wavelengths longer than rest wavelengths, corresponding to recession.
    AQA · Doppler effect (A-level only) (study guide)

    Topics that use Redshift

    Related terms

    Using Redshift in the exam

    Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.

    Practise Physics questions

    Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.

    Start free

    A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge

    All Physics A-Level terms