Chapter 6

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation:

Why do we see in color?
1. Which of the following is the same for all kinds of electromagnetic waves? a. frequency b. speed c. energy d. wavelength e. transmission through the atmosphere Ans: b Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

2. What is the velocity of a wave if the distance between the crests is 8 ft and 20 waves go by every 10 seconds? a. 32 ft/sec b. 16 ft/sec c. 8 ft/sec d. 4 ft/sec e. 160 ft/sec Ans: b Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Which of the following is associated with 440 Hz? a. the tuning of a musical instrument to middle A b. an AM radio station c. broad band television d. a car rental desk e. seismograph data Ans: a Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

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4. Bats navigate by emitting high pitched sound waves and a. scattering all objects in their path. b. attracting insects toward the sound. c. listening for an echo. d. calculating wave crests per second. e. none of the above Ans: c Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Which waves are outside the range of a humans ability to detect? a. AM and FM waves b. ocean waves c. sound waves with frequencies less than 20 Hz d. sound waves with wavelengths greater than 3 cm e. All of the above can be detected by humans. Ans: c Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

6. The Doppler effect a. is used by birds to navigate at night. b. describes sound wave frequency from a moving source. c. describes sound wave frequency from a resting source. d. is used to interpret the electromagnetic spectrum. e. describes light wave refraction through a prism. Ans: b Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

7. What causes an electromagnetic wave to be emitted? a. wind on the water b. earthquakes c. bat echoes d. the acceleration of an electric charge e. all of the above

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Ans: d Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Albert Michelson was the first U.S. scientist to win the Nobel Prize for a. his studies of light. b. his research into Greek history. c. proving Maxwells equations. d. his discovery of the solar wind. e. his work with radioactive particles. Ans: a Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

9. The frequency of a wave appears to change if there is motion between the wave source and the observer. This phenomenon is known as a. the Doppler effect. b. the wavelength paradox. c. electromagnetic radiation. d. solar wind. e. destructive interference. Ans: a Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

10. Which is associated with radio waves? a. amplitude modulation b. 530 to 1600 kHz c. wavelengths longer than Earths radius d. frequency modulation e. all of the above Ans: e Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

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11. Which is the same for all types of electromagnetic waves? a. amplitude b. speed c. frequency d. length e. energy Ans: b Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

12. Compared to microwave radiation, infrared radiation a. has shorter wavelengths and higher energy. b. has longer wavelengths and lower energy. c. is neither felt nor absorbed by our skin. d. has longer wavelengths and faster velocity. e. is detected by all living things. Ans: a Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

13. What practical use has been found for gamma rays? a. detecting the speed of a traveling car b. controlling destructive interference c. cooking food d. treating cancerous tissues e. carrying radio signals Ans: d Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

14. Which statement best describes transverse waves? a. Transverse waves are a special type of longitudinal wave. b. A water ripple is a transverse wave. c. The transverse wave moves floating particles in the direction the wave is moving. d. The energy of the transverse wave moves perpendicular to the wave direction. e. Echoes are formed from transverse waves.

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Ans: b Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

15. A wave carries energy but not matter across an intervening distance. Ans: True Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

16. Low frequency sound waves have high pitches. Ans: False Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

17. You cant see all wavelengths but you can hear all wavelengths. Ans: False Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

18. Visible light occupies the majority of the electromagnetic spectrum. Ans: False Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

19. In both longitudinal and transverse waves, the energy always moves in the direction of the wave. Ans: True Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

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20. An electromagnetic wave can travel through a vacuum. Ans: True Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

21. The sun produces only visible electromagnetic radiation. Ans: False Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

22. The motion of waves depends upon the source from which they were generated. Ans: False Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

23. Gamma rays have long wavelengths and high energy. Ans: False Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

24. The Doppler effect describes a higher pitch sound for waves approaching an observer and a lower pitch sound for waves moving away from an observer. Ans: True Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

25. In Maxwells equations, the wavelength of radiation can vary but the sum of the wavelength and the wave frequency is always the speed of light. Ans: False

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26. All waves on the electromagnetic spectrum are the result of an accelerating electric charge. Ans: True Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

27. The radio waves on the electromagnetic spectrum have the shortest wavelengths and the highest energy. Ans: False Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

28. Television broadcasts usually split the visual and sound signals, carrying pictures on AM and sound on FM. Ans: True Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

29. The human eye can distinguish many wavelengths of red and blue, but only a few wavelengths of yellow. Ans: True Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Easy

30. What is the difference between a transverse and a longitudinal wave? Ans: A transverse wave has wave motion perpendicular to the motion of the medium on which the wave moves; for example, pond ripples. A longitudinal wave is a kind of wave in which the motion of the medium is in the same direction as the wave movement; for example, pressure waves or sound waves.

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Chapter 6 Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Easy

31. Calculate the length of a radio wave picked up by a car radio tuned to 89.3 FM. Ans: The radio wavelength equals the velocity of the radio wave divided by the frequency. In this case, the frequency is 89.3 MHz (8.93 X 107 Hz) and the velocity is the speed of light (3.0 X 108 m/s, for all waves in the electromagnetic spectrum). The calculations are as follows: (3.0 X 108 m/s) (8.93 X 107 Hz) = 3.36 m 10 ft. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

32. What is fluorescence? Ans: Fluorescence is a phenomenon in which energy contained in ultraviolet wavelengths is absorbed by the atoms in some materials and then partially emitted as visible light. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Easy

33. Sound waves with low frequency a. have large amplitudes if they are loud. b. travel at the same speed as sound waves with high frequency. c. have long wavelengths. d.have low pitches. e. all of the above Ans: e Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Medium

34. Constructive interference is to destructive interference as a. a + a is to (-a) + (-a). b. a + a is to (+a) + (-a). c. rough is to smooth. d. b & c e. a & c

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35. Which wave does not move in a medium? a. ocean wave b. sound wave c. X-ray d. seismic wave e.All of the above require a medium for transfer. Ans: c Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Medium

36. How fast can light travel in one second, if it is moving through a vacuum? a. 186,000 feet b. 30,000 meters c. 18, 600 miles d. 300,000 kilometers e. 3,000,000 miles Ans: d Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Medium

37. If you are standing in the path of a light moving toward you, the Doppler effect predicts that the light will be a. red shifted. b. blue shifted. c. shadowed. d. transmitted. e.radiated. Ans: b Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Medium 38. Light passing through a window is like

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Chapter 6 a. an image seen in a mirror. b. water being taken up by a sponge. c. radio waves passing through the air. d. a spectrum of colors in a glass pyramid. e. the greenhouse effect. Ans: c Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Medium

39. A light wave propagates itself through a. disturbances in the ether. b. reflecting gamma radiation. c. energy in shifting magnetic and electric fields d. the seismic energy of the sun. e. all of the above Ans: c Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Medium

40. Which radiation can be used to sterilize equipment? a. microwave radiation b. ultraviolet radiation c. fluorescence d. infrared radiation e.radio waves Ans: b Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Medium

41. The fundamental difference between electromagnetic waves and other types of waves is that electromagnetic waves a. move more slowly than all other types of waves. b. are radioactive. c. are all invisible. d. can transfer energy without transferring mass. e. have the same wavelength.

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Chapter 6 Ans: d Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Medium

42. You are riding in your car during a thunderstorm listening to the radio. A bold of lightning strikes a few miles distance; you see the bolt and a few seconds later hear the thunder. However, the radio speaker made a pop sound just as the lightning bolt struck. How did the ratio hear the thunder before your ears did? a. the radio is more sensitive to sound than your ears b. the radio is quicker to respond to the sound c. the lightning is faster than thunder d. the lightning produced a radio frequency e. all of these. Ans: d Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Medium

43. Which electromagnetic frequencies are used to irradiate fruit to kill the pests and their eggs that might be on the fruit? a. ultraviolet b. infrared c. radio waves d. microwaves e. all of these Ans: a Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Medium

44. Your body produces electromagnetic radiation while you are taking this exam. Ans: True Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Medium

45. The AM radio stations can be heard over greater distances because frequencies between 530 and 1600 MHz are partially reflected off the layers of the atmosphere.

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Ans: True Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Medium

46. Nocturnal animals have learned to use microwave radiation. Ans: False Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Medium

47. How are velocity, frequency and length of each wave related? Ans: Wave velocity is equal to the length of each wave times the number of waves that pass by each second. Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Medium

48. What is unique about electromagnetic waves? Name several examples. Ans: Electromagnetic waves consist of electric and magnetic fields fluctuating together. These waves move by themselves through the vacuum of space and do not require any medium for transport. Examples can include any waves on the electromagnetic spectrum: X-rays, radio waves, visible light, to name a few. Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Medium

49. How do AM and FM radio stations differ in the way they transmit signals? Ans: Amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) are two different ways that a sound wave can be superimposed on a carrier wave. The carrier wave can be varied (modulated) to carry a signal by altering the amplitude (AM) or its frequency (FM). Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Medium

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Chapter 6 50. What controls the range and pitch of sound in the string section of an orchestra? Compare string sounds with the woodwinds and percussion. What do the origin of these sounds have in common? How do they differ? Ans: Answers will vary but should include the length of string and vibration per second; vibration of air, waveform differs. Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Medium

51. In terms of wave mechanics, what is the nature of the tsunamis destructiveness? Ans: Transfer of energy is dissipated by the shore on which the wave breaks. If structures, plants, animals are on that shore, the energy is transferred to themas energy is transferred from a train to a car left sitting on the tracks. Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Medium

52. What is a practical use of infrared radiation detection? a. night vision for nocturnal animals b. to monitor volcanoes c. to find heat in homes d. to search for lost people e. all of the above Ans: e Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

53. The ability of microwave ovens to cook food depends partly upon the fact that microwaves a. are absorbed quickly by water molecules. b. are repelled by water molecules. c.are reflected by the interior of an oven. d. in ovens are significantly different from microwaves used for communication. e. are scattered by water molecules. Ans: a Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard 54. How is the Doppler effect used in applied technology? 103

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Ans: The practical application of the Doppler effect is for police radar units, in which the radar sends out a pulse of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by the metal in cars and reemitted, Doppler shifted. The police officers can deduce the speed of a car by comparing the relative speeds of the waves. Similar devices have been designed by meteorologists to tell speed and direction of storms. (Other answers may be given.) Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Hard

55. Do all waves travel at the speed of light? Give examples. Ans: Waves located on the electromagnetic spectrum all travel at the speed of light. These include radio, microwave, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays; none of which require a medium for transport. Waves such as sound waves, seismic waves, and water waves travel much slower than the speed of light. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

56. What are some practical applications of infrared radiation? Ans: Infrared radiation (also called heat radiation) from the exhaust of enemy aircraft can be detected by military devices and used to guide missiles to their target. Other applications include monitoring hot spots that predict volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and finding heat leaks in homes and businesses. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

57. How can destructive interference affect how a person enjoys the music in an auditorium? Ans: Destructive interference may occur when sound waves are reflected from the ceiling or walls of the concert hall and cancel each other out. Some seats in the auditorium may have poor sound quality unless acoustical parameters are considered in the building design. Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Hard

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

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Ans: Radio waves can be absorbed by metal; microwaves by water; visible light by the rods and cones in our eyes. Link to: The Nature of Waves, The Electromagnetic Wave, The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

59. Extremely low-frequency radiation (ELF) has been in the news since the early 1980s. Discuss this radiation from the point of view of a builder, a scientist, a medical doctor, an EPA bureaucrat and a homeowner living in the shadow of overhead power lines. Ans: Answers will vary. Power company interested in efficiency of lines; scientists measures the field effect; biologist is interested in the affect on organisms; EPA person is interested in riskbenefit analysis; homeowner is concerned about the cheapest mortgage, safety, interpretation of reports. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

60. Discuss the allocation of electromagnetic real estate currently controlled by the Federal Communication Commission. What are the positive and negative points of the federal licensing policy? Ans: Answers will vary. The advantage of control is for assignment of safety bands, order out of chaos, taxation, etc. The disadvantages include taxes to company, regulate (quality control imposed), etc. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

61. Compare the military radar jamming devices with strategies evolved by insects that protect them from bats. Ans: These are basically the same. Both listen for signal then chirp back at the same frequency sonic camouflage. Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Hard 62. Discuss the importance of Maxwells equations. How did his predictions about the electromagnetic spectrum compare with those of the Russian scientist Dimitri Mendeleev, who discovered the periodic table of elements?

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Ans: Both of models predicted future observations. Both had patterns that could be completed as new technology/equipment was developed. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

63. Research has begun to develop a more powerful X-ray source. How will this new tool be applied to problems in society? What principles of electromagnetic radiation are at the foundation of this new research frontier? Ans: These new devices could provide greater penetrating power to look farther or through denser materials for quality control in manufacturing. These excite atoms to high energy levels to get photons to jump to from electron shells to give off x-rays rather than light. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

64.Explain why a rainbow always has the same colors in the same order. Ans: Refraction of light is always the sametherefore the colors are bent in the same manner. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

65. Youve got a toy boat on a pond and want it to go across. If you threw a rock behind the boat to make a wave, would the boat move forward? Why or why not? Ans: No, because waves transfer energy but not mass so there is nothing to push the boat forward. Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Hard

66. Explain how noise canceling headphones might work in a noisy environment. Ans: These headphones use destructive interference to cancel out the noise. Link to: The Nature of Waves Difficulty Level: Hard 106

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67. Describe how popcorn pops in a microwave oven. Ans: Water inside the kernel gets energized by the wave, which turns it to steam and causes the kernel to explode. Link to: The Electromagnetic Wave Difficulty Level: Hard

68. How would the human eye be physically different if it were sense either shorter or longer wavelengths than visible light? Ans: The diameter of pupil would have to be able to close to smaller than a pinpoint for shorter wavelengths; for longer wavelengths, the eye would have to be larger than a meter. Range of frequencies determines the shape and reactivity of the eye. Link to: The Electromagnetic Spectrum Difficulty Level: Hard

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