Question 1

Identify a material that will absorb each of the following: radio waves, microwaves, and visible light.

Accepted Answer

Radio waves can be absorbed by metal; microwaves by water; visible light by the rods and cones in our eyes.

Question 2

Which property of electromagnetic waves is measured in Hertz?

Accepted Answer

A)  amplitude 
B)  speed 
C)  frequency 
D)  length 
E)  energy 
A)  amplitude 
B)  speed 
C)  frequency 
D)  length 
E)  energy C

Question 3

Write a formula that shows the mathematical relationship of organ pipe length (in meters) to velocity of sound waves in air (in meters/second) and frequency of the sound (in Hertz).

Accepted Answer

To do this, you have to combine the formulas for wavelength and organ pipe length. The organ pipe length (m) = wavelength (m)/2.
The new formula is organ pipe length (m) = 1/2 (velocity (m/s) / frequency (Hz)).

Question 4

When a water wave with a positive amplitude of one meter meets another water wave with a negative amplitude of one meter, what will be the result? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The result will be that there is destruc

Question 5

What controls the range and pitch of sound in musical instruments?

Accepted Answer

The range (high and low notes) is contro

Question 6

Which of the following is the same for all kinds of electromagnetic waves?

Accepted Answer

A)  frequency 
B)  speed 
C)  energy 
D)  wavelength 
E)  transmission 
A)  frequency 
B)  speed 
C)  energy 
D)  wavelength 
E)  transmission

Question 7

How are velocity, frequency, and length of each wave related?

Accepted Answer

Wave velocity is equal to the

Question 8

What practical use has been found for gamma rays?

Accepted Answer

A)  detecting the speed of a moving vehicle 
B)  generating light and heat 
C)  cooking food and heating water 
D)  medical applications 
E)  carrying radio signals 
A)  detecting the speed of a moving vehicle 
B)  generating light and heat 
C)  cooking food and heating water 
D)  medical applications 
E)  carrying radio signals

Question 9

Mirrors, like other opaque surfaces, scatter light that falls on them. With mirrors, the scattering is different from most surfaces like the surface of white paper, for example. Explain the difference in the way a mirror "scatters" light.

Accepted Answer

The mirror, unlike the paper,

Question 10

What is fluorescence?

Accepted Answer

Fluorescence is a phenomenon i

Question 11

Why do all waves on the electromagnetic spectrum travel at the speed of light? Give examples of these waves.

Accepted Answer

All waves on the electromagnetic spectru

Question 12

If you are observing a light source moving very rapidly towards you, the Doppler effect predicts that the light will be

Accepted Answer

A)  redshifted. 
B)  blueshifted. 
C)  bent. 
D)  transmitted. 
E)  radiated. 
A)  redshifted. 
B)  blueshifted. 
C)  bent. 
D)  transmitted. 
E)  radiated.

Question 13

Which of the following is associated with 440 Hz?

Accepted Answer

A)  middle A musical note 
B)  an AM radio station 
C)  an FM radio station 
D)  a television station 
E)  high C musical note 
A)  middle A musical note 
B)  an AM radio station 
C)  an FM radio station 
D)  a television station 
E)  high C musical note

Question 14

What causes an electromagnetic wave to be emitted?

Accepted Answer

A)  writing an equation that has the wave form in it 
B)  destructive interference of sound waves 
C)  trying to separate electrical from magnetic phenomena 
D)  acceleration of an electric charge 
E)  constructive interference of any kind of wave 
A)  writing an equation that has the wave form in it 
B)  destructive interference of sound waves 
C)  trying to separate electrical from magnetic phenomena 
D)  acceleration of an electric charge 
E)  constructive interference of any kind of wave

Question 15

How can destructive interference affect how a person enjoys music in an auditorium?

Accepted Answer

Destructive interference may occur when

Question 16

How do AM and FM radio stations differ in the way they transmit signals?

Accepted Answer

Amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency

Question 17

Light passing through a window glass is an interaction called

Accepted Answer

A)  transmission. 
B)  absorption. 
C)  scattering. 
D)  reflection. 
E)  diffusion. 
A)  transmission. 
B)  absorption. 
C)  scattering. 
D)  reflection. 
E)  diffusion.

Question 18

A light wave has a wavelength of about

Accepted Answer

A)  a few meters to more than a few thousand kilometers. 
B)  a meter to a millimeter. 
C)  a millimeter to a micron. 
D)  700 to 400 nanometers. 
E)  400 to 100 nanometers. 
A)  a few meters to more than a few thousand kilometers. 
B)  a meter to a millimeter. 
C)  a millimeter to a micron. 
D)  700 to 400 nanometers. 
E)  400 to 100 nanometers.

Question 19

What is unique about electromagnetic waves? Give a few examples.

Accepted Answer

Electromagnetic waves consist of electri

Question 20

Bats navigate by emitting high pitched sound waves and

Accepted Answer

A)  killing all the moths within 10 meters. 
B)  attracting various insects toward the sound. 
C)  listening for an echo. 
D)  calculating wave crests per second. 
E)  hoping humans do not hear them. 
A)  killing all the moths within 10 meters. 
B)  attracting various insects toward the sound. 
C)  listening for an echo. 
D)  calculating wave crests per second. 
E)  hoping humans do not hear them.

Exam 6: Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Identify a material that will absorb each of the following: radio waves, microwaves, and visible light.

Which property of electromagnetic waves is measured in Hertz?

Write a formula that shows the mathematical relationship of organ pipe length (in meters) to velocity of sound waves in air (in meters/second) and frequency of the sound (in Hertz).

When a water wave with a positive amplitude of one meter meets another water wave with a negative amplitude of one meter, what will be the result? Explain.

What controls the range and pitch of sound in musical instruments?

Which of the following is the same for all kinds of electromagnetic waves?

How are velocity, frequency, and length of each wave related?

What practical use has been found for gamma rays?

Mirrors, like other opaque surfaces, scatter light that falls on them. With mirrors, the scattering is different from most surfaces like the surface of white paper, for example. Explain the difference in the way a mirror "scatters" light.

What is fluorescence?

Why do all waves on the electromagnetic spectrum travel at the speed of light? Give examples of these waves.

If you are observing a light source moving very rapidly towards you, the Doppler effect predicts that the light will be

Which of the following is associated with 440 Hz?

What causes an electromagnetic wave to be emitted?

How can destructive interference affect how a person enjoys music in an auditorium?

How do AM and FM radio stations differ in the way they transmit signals?

Light passing through a window glass is an interaction called

A light wave has a wavelength of about

What is unique about electromagnetic waves? Give a few examples.

Bats navigate by emitting high pitched sound waves and

Science: a Way of Knowing: How Do You Know What You Know

The Ordered Universe: Why Do Planets Appear to Wander Slowly Across the Sky

Energy: Why Must Animals Eat to Stay Alive

Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

Filters