Question 1

Which is associated with broadcast radio waves?

Accepted Answer

A)  amplitude modulation 
B)  frequency slices or bands 
C)  "radio window" in the atmosphere 
D)  frequency modulation 
E)  electron motion in an antenna 
A)  amplitude modulation 
B)  frequency slices or bands 
C)  "radio window" in the atmosphere 
D)  frequency modulation 
E)  electron motion in an antenna

Question 2

White materials scatter all wavelengths of visible light in all directions in a process called

Accepted Answer

A)  reflection 
B)  Diffuse scattering 
C)  refraction 
D)  transmission 
E)  absorption 
A)  reflection 
B)  Diffuse scattering 
C)  refraction 
D)  transmission 
E)  absorption

Question 3

Why does a rainbow always have the same colors in the same order?

Accepted Answer

Refraction of light is always

Question 4

What is the velocity of a wave if the distance between the crests is 8 ft and 20 waves go by every 10 seconds?

Accepted Answer

A)  32 ft/sec 
B)  16 ft/sec 
C)  8 ft/sec 
D)  4 ft/sec 
E)  160 ft/sec 
A)  32 ft/sec 
B)  16 ft/sec 
C)  8 ft/sec 
D)  4 ft/sec 
E)  160 ft/sec

Question 5

Describe how popcorn pops in a microwave oven.

Accepted Answer

Water inside the kernel gets e

Question 6

Explain how "noise canceling" headphones might work in a noisy environment.

Accepted Answer

These headphones use

Question 7

The ability of microwave ovens to cook food depends partly upon the fact that microwaves

Accepted Answer

A)  are absorbed quickly by water molecules, which does nothing to heat food. 
B)  are absorbed quickly by water molecules, which generates heat. 
C)  are reflected by the interior of an oven, which causes heat to be generated in the oven wall. 
D)  tend to be absorbed in dry air and thus heat the whole oven and its contents. 
E)  are scattered by water molecules, which helps heat the glass door of the oven. 
A)  are absorbed quickly by water molecules, which does nothing to heat food. 
B)  are absorbed quickly by water molecules, which generates heat. 
C)  are reflected by the interior of an oven, which causes heat to be generated in the oven wall. 
D)  tend to be absorbed in dry air and thus heat the whole oven and its contents. 
E)  are scattered by water molecules, which helps heat the glass door of the oven.

Question 8

How fast can light travel in one second, if it is moving through a vacuum?

Accepted Answer

A)  186,000 feet 
B)  30,000 meters 
C)  18, 600 miles 
D)  300,000 kilometers 
E)  3,000,000 miles 
A)  186,000 feet 
B)  30,000 meters 
C)  18, 600 miles 
D)  300,000 kilometers 
E)  3,000,000 miles

Question 9

What are some practical applications of infrared radiation?

Accepted Answer

Infrared radiation (also called heat rad

Question 10

Research has begun to develop a more powerful X-ray source. How will this new tool be applied to problems in society?

Accepted Answer

These new devices could provid

Question 11

Another word for constructive interference is

Accepted Answer

A)  amplitude. 
B)  destructive. 
C)  reinforcement. 
D)  Doppler effect. 
E)  acceleration. 
A)  amplitude. 
B)  destructive. 
C)  reinforcement. 
D)  Doppler effect. 
E)  acceleration.

Question 12

The fundamental difference between electromagnetic waves and other types of waves is that electromagnetic waves

Accepted Answer

A)  move more slowly than all other types of waves. 
B)  are invisible regardless of wavelength. 
C)  do not experience constructive or destructive interference. 
D)  transfer energy without transferring mass. 
E)  all have the same wavelength. 
A)  move more slowly than all other types of waves. 
B)  are invisible regardless of wavelength. 
C)  do not experience constructive or destructive interference. 
D)  transfer energy without transferring mass. 
E)  all have the same wavelength.

Question 13

Extremely low-frequency radiation (ELF) has been in the news since the early 1980s. Discuss this radiation from the point of view of a scientist, a medical doctor, and a homeowner living in the shadow of overhead power lines.

Accepted Answer

Scientists who study this matter tend to

Question 14

Calculate the length of a radio wave picked up by a car radio tuned to the FM frequency of 89.3.

Accepted Answer

The radio wavelength equals the velocity

Question 15

How is the Doppler effect used in applied technology?

Accepted Answer

The practical application of the Doppler

Question 16

Discuss the allocation of the electromagnetic spectrum as currently controlled by the Federal Communication Commission. What are the positive and negative points of the federal licensing policy?

Accepted Answer

The advantage of control is for assignme

Question 17

Which wave does not need a medium?

Accepted Answer

A)  ocean wave 
B)  sound wave 
C)  X-ray 
D)  seismic wave 
E)  ripples on water 
A)  ocean wave 
B)  sound wave 
C)  X-ray 
D)  seismic wave 
E)  ripples on water

Question 18

A toy boat is floating on a small pond. If you threw a rock behind the boat (and thus created a wave), would the boat move forward? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

No, because waves tr

Question 19

Albert Michelson was the first U.S. scientist to win the Nobel Prize. His prize was for

Accepted Answer

A)  his studies of light. 
B)  his research into static electricity. 
C)  proving Maxwell's equations all over again. 
D)  his discovery of the solar wind. 
E)  his work with accelerating electrical charges. 
A)  his studies of light. 
B)  his research into static electricity. 
C)  proving Maxwell's equations all over again. 
D)  his discovery of the solar wind. 
E)  his work with accelerating electrical charges.

Question 20

What is the difference between a transverse and a longitudinal wave?

Accepted Answer

A transverse wave has wave motion perpen

Exam 6: Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Which is associated with broadcast radio waves?

White materials scatter all wavelengths of visible light in all directions in a process called

Why does a rainbow always have the same colors in the same order?

What is the velocity of a wave if the distance between the crests is 8 ft and 20 waves go by every 10 seconds?

Describe how popcorn pops in a microwave oven.

Explain how "noise canceling" headphones might work in a noisy environment.

The ability of microwave ovens to cook food depends partly upon the fact that microwaves

How fast can light travel in one second, if it is moving through a vacuum?

What are some practical applications of infrared radiation?

Research has begun to develop a more powerful X-ray source. How will this new tool be applied to problems in society?

Another word for constructive interference is

The fundamental difference between electromagnetic waves and other types of waves is that electromagnetic waves

Extremely low-frequency radiation (ELF) has been in the news since the early 1980s. Discuss this radiation from the point of view of a scientist, a medical doctor, and a homeowner living in the shadow of overhead power lines.

Calculate the length of a radio wave picked up by a car radio tuned to the FM frequency of 89.3.

How is the Doppler effect used in applied technology?

Discuss the allocation of the electromagnetic spectrum as currently controlled by the Federal Communication Commission. What are the positive and negative points of the federal licensing policy?

Which wave does not need a medium?

A toy boat is floating on a small pond. If you threw a rock behind the boat (and thus created a wave), would the boat move forward? Why or why not?

Albert Michelson was the first U.S. scientist to win the Nobel Prize. His prize was for

What is the difference between a transverse and a longitudinal wave?

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