25 questions
What unit is frequency measured in?
decibel
hertz
mph
wavelength
Waves that move the medium parallel to the direction in which the waves travel are classified as which?
guitar strings
transverse
crest
longitudinal
Waves that move the particles of the medium across or at a right angle to the direction of the wave are known as which of the following terms?
longitudinal
compression
transverse
rarefaction
What question could Eric ask to determine the difference between a sound or a light wave?
Do the waves need a medium to travel in?
In what direction does the wave travel?
How are the waves produced?
What are the waves carrying?
Radio waves are transmitted to Earth from satellites; however, mechanical waves are unable to travel through space.
Which answer is the BEST explanation for how satellites work?
Radio waves are not electromagnetic waves, but radio waves can travel through a vacuum.
Radio waves are electromagnetic waves, and electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum.
Mechanical waves are electromagnetic waves, and electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum.
Mechanical waves are not electromagnetic waves, but mechanical waves can travel through a vacuum.
Which question would be the BEST to ask to determine if a wave is an EM wave or a mechanical wave?
Does the wave have a crest and trough?
Does the wave contain energy?
Is it a longitudinal or transverse wave?
Does it require a medium to travel?
Which of the following statements does NOT describe the characteristics of mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves?
In a longitudinal wave, the compression is a region where the particles are closest together and rarefaction is a region where the particles are farthest apart.
Transverse waves have crests and troughs. A trough is the highest point on the wave that the medium rises to while a crest is the lowest point on the wave that the medium can sink to.
Sound waves are mechanical waves and need a medium to travel. They travel fastest through the solids and liquids and slowest through the gases.
Electromagnetic waves are longitudinal waves and can travel through gases and vacuum.
Which correctly describes measuring the period in transverse and longitudinal waves?
The period of a transverse wave is measured from the top of a crest to the top of the next crest, and the period of a longitudinal wave is measured from the beginning of one compression to the beginning of the next compression.
The period of a transverse wave is measured from the top of a crest to the bottom of the next trough, and the period of a longitudinal wave is measured from the end of a compression to the beginning of the next rarefaction.
The period of a longitudinal wave is measured from the top of a crest to the top of the next crest, and the period of a transverse wave is measured from the beginning of one compression to the beginning of the next compression.
The period of a longitudinal wave is measured from the top of a crest to the bottom of the next trough, and the period of a transverse wave is measured from the end of a compression to the beginning of the next rarefaction.
Horatio’s class is studying the electromagnetic spectrum.
Which BEST explains the relationship between the electromagnetic spectrum, wavelength, and energy?
Radio waves have the shortest wavelength and produce the least amount of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Visible light has the longest wavelength and produces the greatest amount of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Gamma waves have the shortest wavelength and produce the greatest amount of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.
X-Ray waves have the longest wavelength and produce the least amount of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Why must x-ray technicians take special precautions that radio technicians do not have to take?
X-rays have much shorter wavelengths than radio waves, and are able to travel over and around more objects.
X-rays have the same wavelengths as radio waves, but they are able to transport more energy.
X-rays have much longer wavelengths than radio waves, allowing them to transport more energy.
X-rays have much shorter wavelengths than radio waves, allowing them to transport more energy.
The table shows the different wave frequencies for each color of visible light.
Which explanation correctly uses the data in the table to describe how the different color waves are related to each other in terms of energy?
All colors have less energy than violet light because energy is inversely proportional to frequency, and all colors have higher frequency than violet light.
All colors have more energy than red light because energy is inversely proportional to frequency, and all colors have a lower frequency than red light.
Violet light has nearly half the energy than red light because energy is directly proportional to frequency, and violet light has almost half the frequency than red light.
Violet light has nearly double the energy of red light because energy is directly proportional to frequency, and violet light has almost double the frequency than red light.
A new company is making security cameras. These security cameras will be different than other security cameras because instead of detecting motion, they will detect body heat.
What type of electromagnetic wave will the camera detect?
gamma ray
infrared
microwave
radio wave
A submarine captain uses a periscope to observe ships above sea level. This is a long tube that has two surfaces attached at each end, which can direct visible light down the tube, enabling the captain to see objects above.
If you want to build your own periscope, what kind of material would be BEST to attach at each end and why?
Mirrors, because shiny surfaces are the most reflective of visible light.
White cardboard, because it will reflect all the colors in visible light.
Black cardboard, because it will absorb all the colors in visible light.
Glass, because it is the most transparent to visible light.
Gamma rays are best used to radiate cancer cells in patients that are diagnosed with cancer.
Which BEST explains why gamma rays are the most effective electromagnetic wave to complete this task?
Gamma waves are high frequency waves that can be slowed down to have a low amount of energy. This lack of energy stops the cancer cells from growing in the body of patients.
Gamma waves are high frequency waves that have a high amount of energy, and this energy is effective at attacking the DNA in cancer cells to keep them from continuing to grow.
Gamma waves are low frequency waves that can be used at a high amount of energy, and this energy is effective at attacking the DNA in cancer cells to keep them from continuing to grow.
Gamma waves are low frequency waves that have a low amount of energy. This lack of energy stops the cancer cells from growing in the body of patients.
Which of the following devices would NOT use waves found in the electromagnetic spectrum?
loudspeaker
lamp
garage door opener
radio
Radio waves and visible light waves can travel through some materials but not others.
What is happening to the visible light waves as they come into contact with bricks, and what characteristics determine the behavior of the light waves?
They are reflected; wavelength and energy level.
They are refracted; wavelength and energy level.
They are reflected; wavelength, energy level, and composition of the material.
They are refracted; wavelength, energy level, and composition of the material.
Look at the model of light waves.
Which of the following BEST explains the information shown in the models?
Light waves pass through dark colored items.
Light waves are absorbed into dark colored items, and they are reflected off light colored items.
Dark colored objects reflect light waves, and light waves are absorbed into light colored objects.
Light colored items attract light waves because the light waves are absorbed into the light-colored objects.
Bats use echolocation to find their prey. If the prey is moving away from the bat, the returning echo will have a lower pitch than the original sound, while the echo from the prey moving toward the bat will have a higher pitch.Which of the following graphs could indicate that a prey is moving towards the bat?
How will the sound waves travel if they reflect after hitting the wall?
The sound waves will bend after passing through the wall.
The sound waves will move through the wall.
The sound waves will return to the person.
The sound waves will stop at the wall.
Which wave behaviors are illustrated in the diagram?
reflection and refraction
reflection and absorption
refraction and absorption
refraction and diffraction
Which of the following statements BEST demonstrates the behavior of light waves when they pass through the lenses of eyeglasses?
The light waves slow down as they pass through the eyeglasses which causes the light waves to refract.
The light waves speed up as they pass through the eyeglasses which causes the light waves to refract.
The light waves are stopped when they pass through the eyeglasses which causes the light waves to reflect off the eyeglasses.
The light waves are multiplied when they pass through the eyeglasses which causes the light waves to separate into a rainbow.
A concave mirror is used for tasks such as applying makeup and shaving because it enlarges the image that is seen in the mirror.
Which model shows how the light travels and bounces off a concave mirror?
The side view mirrors of cars and trucks usually have this warning printed on them.
“Objects in mirror are closer than they appear”
What shape of lens must side view mirrors have?
concave
convex
flat
objective
A lens is used to bend light so that small objects can be made large enough to see.
What shape lens has a focal point in front of the lens (between the object being observed and the lens)?
concave
flat
convex
opaque
Microwave ovens use electromagnetic waves to cook food in half the time of a conventional oven. The electromagnetic waves can achieve this because the microwaves are able to penetrate deep into the food to heat it up thoroughly.
Why are microwaves the BEST electromagnetic wave to cook food?
Microwaves are extremely hot electromagnetic waves that can transfer their heat to the food being cooked.
Microwaves are the coldest electromagnetic waves that can transfer heat to the food, but they will not burn the food.
Microwaves are low frequency electromagnetic waves that travel at a low enough frequency to distribute heat to the center of the food being cooked.
Microwaves are high frequency electromagnetic waves that travel at a high enough frequency to distribute heat to the center of the food being cooked.