Waves and Light

Electromagnetic energy travels through space in waves. The electromagnetic spectrum includes all electromagnetic waves, arranged according to frequency and wavelength. Which of these is an example of an electromagnetic wave?

• Radio Wave

• Sound Wave

• Ocean Wave

• Earthquake Wave

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Through which of these mediums do sound waves travel most slowly?

• Wood

• Water

• Cold Air

• Iron

What is the name given to the lowest point of a wave?

• crest

• trough

• amplitude

• wavelength

The medium through which a mechanical wave passes can be a solid, a liquid, or a gas. Properties of a wave might change when it moves from one medium to another. What happens to the speed of a wave when it moves from a gas to a solid?

• It speeds up

• it slows down

• It remains the same

• it speeds up and then slows

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Electromagnetic energy travels in waves. These waves can vary in their frequencies and wavelengths. Electromagnetic energy is classified by the length and frequency of its wave. Of the four wave types below, which has the highest frequency?

• Microwaves

• Infrared waves

• gamma rays

• radio waves

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When you listen to the radio, watch TV, or cook food in a microwave, you are using a device that makes use of man-made electromagnetic waves. Which statement about electromagnetic waves is false?

• Electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light in a vacuum.

• Electromagnetic waves need a medium to travel through.

• Different wavelengths of visible light are interpreted by our eyes as different colors.

• The transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves is called electromagnetic radiation.

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How does a longitudinal wave tend to move?

• back and forth

• up and down

Heather puts a straw into a glass of water. She notices that the straw appears to be broken when she looks through the glass and the water from the side. Which term best explains why the straw looks like it is broken?

• reflection

• refraction

• diffraction

• interference

The visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum consists of the colors that we see in a rainbow. Different colors correspond to different wavelengths of light. Which color of visible light has the shortest wavelength?

• Red

• orange

• blue

• violet

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Brianna reported a measurement in units of hertz. What property of a wave was she measuring?

• Frequency

• Wavelength

• Wave Speed

• Amplitude