Chapter 4 Vocabulary Quiz

The process in which light or other electromagnetic radiation gives up its energy to an atom or molecule. For example, ozone in our atmosphere absorbs ultraviolet radiation.

• Absorption

• Emission

• Photoelectric effect

• Wien's law

wavelength band in which our atmosphere absorbs little radiation. For example, on Earth the visible window ranges from about 300 to 700 nanometers, allowing the light we can see with our eyes to pass through the atmosphere.

• Visible light

• absorption-line spectrum

• atmospheric window

• electromagnetic wave

an object that is an ideal radiator when hot and a perfect absorber when cool. It absorbs all radiation that falls upon it, reflecting no light; hence, it appears black. Stars are approximately blackbodies. The radiation emitted by blackbodies obeys Wien's law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law.

• Photon

• Blackbody

• Atom

• Black Hole

the assemblage of all wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. The spectrum includes the following wavelengths, from long to short: radio, microwave, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X rays, and gamma rays.

• Electromagnetic Spectrum

• Electromagnetic Wave

• Emission-line Spectrum

• Absorption-line Spectrum

a wave consisting of alternating electric and magnetic energy.

• Electromagnetic Spectrum

• Electromagnetic Wave

• Visible Light

• Continuous Spectrum

the production of light, or more generally, electromagnetic radiation by an atom or other object.

• emission

• absorption

• excited

• blackbody

the number of times per second that a wave vibrates.

• Wavelength

• Period

• Frequency

• Spectroscopy

The distance between wave crests. It determines the color of visible light and is usually denoted by the Greek letter λ.

• frequency

• period

• wavelength

• spectrum

a particle of visible light or other electromagnetic radiation.

• Electron

• Photon

• Proton

• Neutron

a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation longer than visible light but shorter than radio waves. We cannot see these wavelengths with our eyes, but we can feel many of them as heat.

• Ultraviolet

• Infrared

• Gamma

• Radio