6.6.2 Electromagnetic Waves

Question 1

What do electromagnetic waves do?

Answer 1

They transfer energy from a source to an absorber.

Question 2

What type of wave are electromagnetic waves?

Answer 2

Transverse

Question 3

What are the similarities between all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Answer 3

They have the same speed; in a vacuum; they are transverse; they can be reflected, refracted and polarised.

Question 4

What are the differences between the different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Answer 4

They have different frequencies, energies and wavelengths.

Question 5

What are different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum from lowest to highest frequency?

Answer 5

Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays

Question 6

Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum has the highest energy?

Answer 6

Gamma rays

Question 7

Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum has the longest wavelength?

Answer 7

Radio waves

Question 8

Name a two uses of radio waves

Answer 8

Communication (television and radio), studying space

Question 9

Name two uses for microwaves.

Answer 9

Cooking, communication (mobile phones), weather forecasts/satellites

Question 10

Name two uses for infrared.

Answer 10

Night vision, cooking, remote controls, electrical heaters

Question 11

Name two uses for visible light

Answer 11

Photography, iris recognition, fibre optic communication

Question 12

Name two uses for ultraviolet.

Answer 12

Tanning, fluorescent lights, forensics, forgery detection (bank notes/ID cards)

Question 13

Name two uses for X-rays

Answer 13

Airport scanners, detecting broken bones/medical imaging

Question 14

Name two uses for gamma rays

Answer 14

Medical treatment/treating cancer, sterilising medical equipment/fresh fruit

Question 15

Name two uses for gamma rays.

Answer 15

Medical treatment/treating cancer; sterilising medical equipment/fresh fruit

Question 16

Name a danger radio waves

Answer 16

None known

Question 17

State a danger of microwaves

Answer 17

Internal heating of tissue

Question 18

State a danger of infrared.

Answer 18

Skin burns

Question 19

State the dangers of visible light

Answer 19

Blindness

Question 20

State the dangers of ultraviolet.

Answer 20

Skin cancer

Question 21

State the danger of X-rays

Answer 21

Cancer

Question 22

State the danger of gamma rays

Answer 22

Cancer and cell death.

Question 23

Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum can our eyes detect?

Answer 23

Visible light only

Question 24

Give an example of an electromagnetic wave transferring energy.

Answer 24

Infrared radiation given out by a heater causes the room to get hotter.

Question 25

1000 millisieverts (mSv) is how many sieverts (Sv)

Answer 25

1 Sv

Question 26

How can the danger presented by radiation be reduced?

Answer 26

Reducing the time of exposure.
Maximising the distance
Putting shielding between you and the source (i.e. sun screen to reduce the risk of skin cancer from UV)

Question 27

Describe the production and nature of gamma rays.

Answer 27

Changes in the structure of the atomic nucleus result in gamma rays (electromagnetic radiation) being emitted. They can be generated and absorbed over a wide range of frequencies.

Question 28

What are the three types of ionising radiation?

Answer 28

Ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays

Question 29

What does ionising/ionisation mean?

Answer 29

Ionisation is the creation of positive and negative charged particles from neutral compounds.

Question 30

Why is ionisation bad?

Answer 30

Ionisation affects complex and sensitive structures in our body like DNA. The affect of ionisation can be to damage and alter DNA leading to cancer or cell death.