Lesson 8: Electromagnetic waves

Question 1

What are electromagnetic waves?

Answer 1

• Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves that transfer energy
  from the source of the waves to an absorber.

Question 2

True or False

Each wave in the electromagnetic spectrum travel at different velocities through a vaccum (space) or in air.

Answer 2

• False.
• All types of electromagnetic waves travel at the same velocity through a vaccum (space) or air.

Question 3

What are the waves in the electromagnetic spectrum?

Starting from lower frequency to higher frequency.

Answer 3

• Radio waves
• Micro- waves
• Infrared
• Visible Light
• Ultraviolet
• X- rays
• Gamma rays

Question 4

If a wave has a low frequency, what sort of wavelength will that wave have?

Answer 4

• Low frequency = long wavelength.
• High frequency = short wavelength.

Question 5

What is the only wave of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see?

Answer 5

• Visible light

Question 6

Give 2 examples that illustrate the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves.

Answer 6

• Microwaves transfer energy from the source (the oven) to the absorber (the food.)
• Solar panels: Light waves transfer energy from the source (the Sun) to the absorber (solar panels.)

Question 7

What happens if we pass white light through a prism?

Answer 7

• The white light is split into a spectrum.

Question 8

What is the order of the colours that make up the spectrum of visible light from low to high frequency?

Answer 8

• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Blue
• Indigo
• Violet

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