Waves and Wave Properties

Which characteristic is determined by the source of a wave and will NOT change when the wave passes into a new medium?

• frequency

• velocity

• wavelength

• amplitude

Which type of electromagnetic waves can cause sunburns?

• X rays

• visible light

• infrared

• ultraviolet

Sunscreen helps protect the skin from the Sun. Sunscreen protects a person's skin from wavelengths that are

• longer than radio waves but shorter than X rays

• longer than X rays but shorter than infrared waves

• longer than microwaves but shorter than infrared waves

• longer than visible light waves but shorter than radio waves

Which wave behavior causes a straw to appear different in size and shape when placed in a glass of water?

• diffraction of light waves

• interference of water and light waves

• polarization of light waves

• refraction of light waves

Which of the following is true of infrared waves compared to other electromagnetic waves?

• they give off more energy than gamma rays

• they have higher frequencies than visible light waves

• they have longer wavelengths than ultraviolet waves

• they have shorter wavelengths than X rays

Which of the following correctly orders the colors of visible light from longest wavelength to shortest wavelength?

• red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet

• violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red

• red, yellow, orange, blue, green, indigo, violet

• violet, indigo, green, blue, orange, yellow, red

Which portion of the electromagnetic spectrum includes the entire range of light that can be detected by the human eye? 

• ultraviolet light
• visible light
• infrared light
• x-rays

If the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is longer, what is true about the energy? 

• Energy is higher.
• Energy is lower. 
• Energy is not dependent on wavelength. 

Which of the following electromagnetic waves has the highest energy? 

• radio waves
• microwaves
• infrared light
• visible light

Which of the following electromagnetic waves has the lowest energy?

• infrared light

• visible light

• ultraviolet light

• x-rays