Chapter 26: Properties of Light Flashcards
Most of the waves in the electromagnetic spectrum are: a) gamma rays; b) infrared light; c) green light; d) not visible to the human eye; e) microwaves.
d) not visible to the human eye.
The fact that light travels at 300,000 km/s is a consequence of: a) electromagnetic wave propagation; b) electromagnetic field induction; c) Maxwell’s laws; d) energy conservation.
d) energy conservation.
Which of these electromagnetic waves has the shortest wavelength: a) radio waves; b) infrared waves; c) X-rays; d) ultraviolet waves; e) light waves.
c) X-rays.
Which of the following is fundamentally different from the others: a) sound waves; b) X-rays; c) gamma rays; d) light waves; e) radio waves.
a) sound waves.
Infrared waves are often called heat waves because they: a) emanate from relatively hot sources; b) consist of frequencies lower than those of visible light; c) induce resonance in molecules and increase internal energy in a substance; d) are absorbed rather than reflected by the skin; e) infrared is hard to pronounce.
c) induce resonance in molecules and increase internal energy in a substance.
Visible light radiation travels fastest in: a) air; b) vacuum; c) water; d) glass; e) diamond.
b) vacuum.
Color vision and detail are perceived with: a) the rods; b) the cones; c) the macula; d) the cornea; e) the pupilometric.
b) the cones.
Which of the following electromagnetic waves have the highest frequency: a) microwaves; b) X-rays; c) infrared; d) visible light; e) gamma rays.
e) gamma rays.
Glass is transparent to
all visible light.
The atmosphere is transparent to
visible light, some ultraviolet light, and some infrared light.
A solar eclipse occurs when the: a) sun passes into Earth’s shadow; b) moon passes into the Earth’s shadow; c) the moon’s shadow touches Earth.
c) the moon’s shadow touches Earth.
The cones in the retina of the eye are: a) most densely packed at the center of vision; b) uniformly spread along the visual field; c) concentrated along the periphery of vision.
a) most densely packed at the center of vision.
The moon would be at its fullest just before the time of a: a) solar eclipse; b) lunar eclipse; c) both of these; d) none of these.
b) lunar eclipse
Compared to ultraviolet waves, the wavelength of infrared waves is: a) shorter. b) longer; c) the same.
b) longer.
Materials generally become warmer when light is: a) absorbed by them; b) reflected by them; c) transmitted by them; d) all of these; e) none of these.
a) absorbed by them.
The main difference between a radio wave and a sound wave is their different: a) frequencies; b) wavelengths; c) energies; d) amplitudes; e) modes of travel.
e) modes of travel.
Which of the following cannot travel in a vacuum: a) a light wave; b) a sound wave; c) a radio wave; d) All can travel in a vacuum; e) None can travel in a vacuum.
b) a sound wave.
The Earth’s atmosphere is transparent to most waves in the: a) infrared part of the spectrum; b) visible part of the spectrum; c) ultraviolet part of the spectrum; d) entire electromagnetic spectrum.
b) visible part of the spectrum.
The speed of light in the void between molecules in glass is: a) more than its speed in a vacuum; b) the same as its speed in a vacuum; c) less than its speed in a vacuum.
b) the same as its speed in a vacuum.
While Earth is experiencing a total solar eclipse, an observer on the side of the moon facing the Earth would see: a) Earth disappear from the sky; b) Earth dim and turn reddish; c) nothing unusual; d) a tiny dark spot move across the face of Earth.
d) a tiny dark spot move across the face of Earth.
The main difference between a radio wave and a light wave is its: a) speed; b) wavelength; c) frequency; d) all of these; e) two of these.
e) two of these.
What are the two main differences?
When ultraviolet light is incident upon glass, atoms in the glass: a) are forced into vibration; b) resonate; c) pass the light energy along practically undiminished; d) freely absorb and re-emit most of the ultraviolet light.
b) resonate.
Electromagnetic waves consist of: a) compressions and rarefactions of electromagnetic pulses; b) oscillating electric and magnetic fields; c) particles of light energy; d) high-frequency gravitational waves.
b) oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
If the sun were to disappear right now, we wouldn’t know about it for 8 minutes because it takes 8 minutes: a) for the sun to disappear; b) to operate receiving equipment in the dark; c) for light to travel from the sun to the Earth; d) none of these .
c) for light to travel from the sun to the Earth.
Sunburns are produced by
ultraviolet light.
Vibrations given by light to their atoms and molecules are turned into random
kinetic energy—into internal energy.
A total shadow is called an _______ and
a partial shadow is called a ___________.
1st blank: umbra
2nd blank: penumbra
When we stand in the sunlight, some of the light is stopped while other rays continue in a straight-line path.
A __________ appears where some of the light is blocked but where other light fills it in.
penumbra;
A penumbra also occurs where light from a broad source is only partially blocked.
Speed of light in glass may vary (less), but the _________ transmitted is the same.
frequency
The brightest light that the human eye can perceive without damage is some ____ ________ times brighter than the dimmest light that can be perceived.
500 million
_______ _________ means we don’t perceive the actual differences in brightness.
Lateral inhibition
The brightest places in our visual field are prevented from outshining the rest.
