CP4/5- Waves And The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Question 1

What do waves do?

Answer 1

Transfer energy and information without transferring matter

Question 2

What is frequency?

Answer 2

The number of waves passing a point each second, measured in Hertz

Question 3

What is period?

Answer 3

The time taken for one wavelength to pass a point. 1/frequency

Question 4

What are the similarities between longitudinal and traverse waves?

Answer 4

They both transfer energy without transferring matter, both have an amplitude, speed, wavelength and frequency

Question 5

What are the differences between longitudinal and traverse waves?

Answer 5

Particles in longitudinal waves vibrate along the direction of movement whereas particles in traverse waves move at 90 degrees to the direction of travel

Question 6

Wave speed equation?

Answer 6

Frequency x wavelength

Question 7

Distance equation?

Answer 7

Wave speed x time

Question 8

What are the properties of electromagnetic waves?

Answer 8

All are transverse, all travel at 3 x 10^8 in a vacuum, all transfer energy to the observer

Question 9

What is the order of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Answer 9

Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma rays

Question 10

What has the longest wavelength?

Answer 10

Radio waves

Question 11

What has the highest frequency?

Answer 11

Gamma rays

Question 12

What are the uses of radio waves?

Answer 12

Broadcasting radio and TV, communicating with ships, aeroplanes and satellites

Question 13

What are the uses of microwaves?

Answer 13

In mobile phones to communicate by satellite transmission, for cooking

Question 14

What are the dangers of microwaves?

Answer 14

They heat water, so they can heat the water in your body

Question 15

What are the uses of infrared?

Answer 15

Cooking, thermal images, TV controls where the signal only travels short distances

Question 16

What are the dangers of infrared?

Answer 16

It transfers thermal energy and too much can cause skin burn

Question 17

What are the uses of visible light?

Answer 17

Allows us to see, illumination, photography

Question 18

What are the uses of ultraviolet?

Answer 18

To detect security marks, to detect forged bank notes, to disinfect water

Question 19

What are the dangers of ultraviolet?

Answer 19

UV in sunlight can damage skin cells causing sunburn, overtime exposure can cause skin cancer, it can damage cells

Question 20

What are the uses of x-rays?

Answer 20

To look inside objects

Question 21

What are the uses of gamma rays?

Answer 21

To sterilise food and medical equipment, in scanners to detect cancer, to help treat cancer

Question 22

What are the dangers of gamma and x-rays?

Answer 22

They can cause mutation to the DNA cells in the body, this may kill cells or cause cancer