Electromagnetic Waves

Question 1

What is a transverse wave

Answer 1

A wave where particle motion is perpendicular to the direction of energy.

Question 2

What is a wave crest?

Answer 2

The highest point on a transverse wave

Question 3

What is a wave trough?

Answer 3

The lowest point on a transverse wave

Question 4

What is the amplitude of the wave?

Answer 4

The vertical distance from the rest position to a crest or to a trough?

Question 5

How is the wavelength of a transverse wave determined?

Answer 5

It is the horizontal distance from one crest to the next crest.

Question 6

What is a longitudinal or compression wave?

Answer 6

A wave where the particle motion is parallel to the direction of energy travel.

Question 7

What is reflection?

Answer 7

Behavior of a wave at a boundary where the incoming wave will bounce back into the original medium.

Question 8

What is the Law of Reflection?

Answer 8

The angle of the incident wave equals the angle of the reflected wave when measured from the normal.

Question 9

What is refraction?

Answer 9

When an incident wave enters a new substance at an angle, the transmitted wave will change its speed and bend.

Question 10

What is diffraction?

Answer 10

The bending of a wave around an obstacle or when it passes through a small opening.

Question 11

What is the doppler effect?

Answer 11

The apparent change in the frequency of a wave when the source and/or the observer are moving relative to each other.

Question 12

What type of wave is light?

Answer 12

Light is an electromagnetic wave where photons travel as a transverse wave.

Question 13

Which parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are considered to be low frequency and long wavelength?

Answer 13

Radio waves, microwaves, and infrared radiation

Question 14

What is the order of visible light from low frequency to high frequency?

Answer 14

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.

Question 15

Which parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are considered to be high frequency and short wavelength?

Answer 15

Ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and Gamma radiation

Question 16

What is the incident wave?

Answer 16

The incoming wave to a boundary.

Question 17

What is the transmitted wave?

Answer 17

The wave that passes through a boundary into a new medium.

Question 18

How does light behave in a transparent substance?

Answer 18

Light will transmit through the substance with little distortion.

Question 19

How does light behave in a translucent substance?

Answer 19

Some of the light is absorbed, while some of the light is distorted that transmits through the substance.

Question 20

How does light behave in an opaque substance?

Answer 20

The light is absorbed and does not transmit throught he substance.

Question 21

What is a mirror?

Answer 21

A substance that reflects light with little distortion.

Question 22

What is the shape of a convex mirror?

Answer 22

A convex mirror curves outward.

Question 23

What is the shape of a concave mirror?

Answer 23

A concave mirror curves inward.

Question 24

What are the three shapes of mirrors?

Answer 24

Mirrors can be concave, convex or flat.

Question 25

What is a lens?

Answer 25

A lens is a curved object that transmits light.

Question 26

What behavior of waves is used to change the path of an incident wave in a lens?

Answer 26

Refraction

Question 27

What is the shape of a convex lens?

Answer 27

A convex lens is thicker in the center.

Question 28

What is the shape of a concave lens?

Answer 28

A concave lens is thicker on the edges.

Question 29

What happens to parallel rays when they diverge?

Answer 29

They will spread out.

Question 30

What happens to parallel rays when they converge?

Answer 30

The will bend to meet at a focal point.

Question 31

What is a prism?

Answer 31

A prism is a substance that will separate white light into its different colors (frequencies).

Question 32

The color of light represents which characteristic?

Answer 32

Frequency or wavelength

Question 33

If the three primary colors of transmitted light mix, what is seen?

Answer 33

White light

Question 34

What are the three primary colors of transmitted light?

Answer 34

Red, Green and Blue

Question 35

What is a pigment or a dye?

Answer 35

A pigment or dye will absorb some colors of light and reflect other colors.

Question 36

If a red light is transmitted onto a green pigment, what is seen by an observer?

Answer 36

The observer will see an absence of light. The green pigment will absorb the red light, and no light is reflected to a person's eyes.

Question 37

What are the primary colors for pigments and dyes?

Answer 37

Cyan, Magenta and Yellow

Question 38

What happens to the speed of light when it enters a new substance?

Answer 38

The speed of light will change.

Question 39

What happens to light waves when an object is beyond the focal point of a concave mirror?

Answer 39

The light rays converge

Question 40

What happens to light rays from an object in front of a convex mirror?

Answer 40

The light rays diverge, and a virtual image forms.

Question 41

What happens to parallel light waves that pass through a convex lens?

Answer 41

The light rays will converge at a focal point.

Question 42

What happens to parallel light rays that pass through a concave lens?

Answer 42

The light rays diverge

Question 43

What are two uses for radio and TV waves?

Answer 43

Communications and Radar Detection Systems

Question 44

What are two uses for infrared radiation?

Answer 44

Heat lamps and detecting heat differences (night vision goggles)

Question 45

What are two uses for ultraviolet rays?

Answer 45

They can help destroy organisms and help skin produce vitamin D

Question 46

What are two uses for X-rays?

Answer 46

They help to see bones in body and provide pictures inside solid objects

Question 47

What are two uses for gamma rays?

Answer 47

They can kill cancer cells and be used as an inspection tool.