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Physics GCSE > EM Spectrum > Flashcards

EM Spectrum Flashcards

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1
Q

What is refraction?

A

When a light wave changes speed and direction when passing through a medium

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2
Q

What is reflection?

A

When a wave bounces off a surface instead of being absorbed or transmitted

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3
Q

When does total internal reflection occur?

A

When the incident angle is greater than the critical angle

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4
Q

What is the angle of incidence equal to when total internal reflection occurs?

A

The angle of reflection

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5
Q

What is diffuse reflection?

A

When reflected light is scattered in all directions from a non-smooth surface

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6
Q

What is specular reflection?

A

When light is reflected evenly from a smooth surface

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7
Q

What can white light be split up into?

A

The colours of the visible spectrum

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8
Q

What do filters of light do?

A

Absorb every other colour apart from the colour it’s meant to be, it transmits this colour through

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9
Q

Why does refraction occur?

A

Because light waves travel at different speeds in different materials

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10
Q

What happens to the path of the light when it is refracted in glass?

A

It bends towards the normal when it enters the glass and bends away from the normal when it leaves the glass

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11
Q

When the incident angle is the same as the critical angle is the light reflected or refracted?

A

It is the largest the incident angle can be for refraction to happen, reflection only occurs when the incident angle is greater than the critical angle

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12
Q

What determines the colour of an object?

A

The colour of an object depends on which colours the atoms of the object absorb and which one they reflect

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13
Q

What does a converging lens do?

A

Bends rays of light towards each other, bringing them to a point, helps with long sightedness

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14
Q

What does a diverging lens do?

A

Bends rays of light away from each other, helps with short sightedness

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15
Q

What determines the focal length of a lens?

A

How curved the lens is, the more curved it is the shorter the focal length

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16
Q

What does a shorter focal length mean?

A

The more powerful the lens is

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17
Q

How do lenses bend light?

A

Using refraction

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18
Q

Are converging or diverging lenses thicker in the middle?

A

Converging, diverging are thinner in the middle

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19
Q

What does it mean if an object is ‘at infinity’

A

The distance between a lens and the object is much greater than the focal length of the lens

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20
Q

What is a real image?

A

An image that can be produced on a screen, the light rays converge and are focused on the screen

21
Q

What is a virtual image?

A

An image formed when the object is between the focal point and the lens

22
Q

What do light rays appear to do in a virtual image?

A

Diverge but they don’t actually do this

23
Q

What is the speed of light?

A

3x10^8m/s

24
Q

Do all electromagnetic waves travel at the same or different speeds in a vacuum?

A

The same

25
Q

What type of wave are all EM spectrum waves?

A

Transverse

26
Q

As the wavelength increases what happens to the frequency of the waves?

A

It decreases

27
Q

What is the order of EM waves in terms of energy (lowest to highest)

A
  • Radio waves = Red
  • Microwaves = Monkeys
  • Infrared = In
  • Visible light = Vans
  • UV rays = Use
  • X-rays = X-ray
  • Gamma rays = Glasses
28
Q

Which type of wave has the highest frequency?

A

Gamma rays

29
Q

Which type of wave has the longest wavelength?

A

Radio waves

30
Q

What is the typical use of radio waves?

A

Television signals

31
Q

What are the typical uses of microwaves?

A

Cooking and mobile phones

32
Q

What is the typical use of infrared waves?

A

Optical fibre communication

33
Q

What is the typical use of visible light?

A

Seeing

34
Q

What are the typical uses of UV rays

A

Detecting forged bank notes

35
Q

What is the typical use of x-rays?

A

Used to make medical images of bones

36
Q

What is the typical use of gamma rays?

A

Killing cancer cells

37
Q

What does the speed of a wave in a material depend on?

A

The density of the material

38
Q

How does temperature affect which type of radiation something emits?

A

The higher the temperature of something is means it will emit radiation with lower wavelengths. The sun produces visible light and UV rays, bodies hotter than the sun emit x-rays

39
Q

What is intensity?

A

Power / square metre

40
Q

What does the temperature of the earth depend on?

A

The amount of radiation the atmosphere absorbs and how much it emits

41
Q

What are the dangers of x-rays and gamma rays?

A

Can cause mutations which can kill cells or result in cancer

42
Q

What re the dangers of UV rays?

A

Can damage skin cells and if repeatedly exposed to UV rays can a person can develop cancer

43
Q

What are the dangers of infrared waves?

A

Too much infrared radiation can cause skin burns

44
Q

What are the dangers of microwaves?

A

They can heat cells which can cause damage to cells or kill them

45
Q

When is electromagnetic radiation emitted?

A

When electrons move from a higher to lower energy level

46
Q

When is electromagnetic radiation absorbed?

A

When the electrons move from a lower to higher energy level

47
Q

What happens when energy changes occur in the nucleus of an unstable atom?

A

High level gamma rays are emitted

48
Q

What colour in the visible spectrum has the longest wavelength?

A

Red

Physics GCSE (17 decks)

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