Test 6: Review A

Question 1

Electromagnetic waves consist of
A) oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
B) compressions and rarefactions of electromagnetic pulses.
C) high-frequency gravitational waves.
D) particles of light energy.

Answer 1

*A) oscillating electric and magnetic fields.

Question 2

The source of all electromagnetic waves is
A) vibrating atoms.
B) changes in atomic energy levels.
C) accelerating electric charges.
D) crystalline fluctuations.
E) none of these

Answer 2

*C) accelerating electric charges.

Question 3

The main difference between a radio wave and a light wave is its
A) speed.
B) frequency.
C) wavelength.
D) all of these
E) two of these

Answer 3

*E) two of these

Question 4

Compared to ultraviolet waves, the wavelength of infrared waves is
A) longer.
B) shorter.
C) the same.

Answer 4

*A) longer.

Question 5

When ultraviolet light is incident upon glass, atoms in the glass
A) resonate.
B) freely absorb and re-emit most of the ultraviolet light.
C) pass the light energy along practically undiminished.
D) are forced into vibration.

Answer 5

*A) resonate.
*D) are forced into vibration.

Question 5

Consider light energy that is momentarily absorbed in glass and then re-emitted. Compared to the absorbed light, the frequency of the re-emitted light is
A) considerably less.
B) slightly less.
C) considerably more.
D) the same.
E) slightly more.

Answer 5

*D) the same.

Question 6

Infrared waves are often called heat waves because they
A) induce resonance in molecules and increase internal energy in a substance.
B) emanate from relatively hot sources.
C) are the predominant waves emitted by the sun.
D) are absorbed rather than reflected by the skin.
E) consist of frequencies lower than those of visible light.

Answer 6

*A) induce resonance in molecules and increase internal energy in a substance.

Question 7

The Earth’s atmosphere is transparent to most waves in the
A) ultraviolet part of the spectrum.
B) visible part of the spectrum.
C) infrared part of the spectrum.
D) entire electromagnetic spectrum.

Answer 7

*B) visible part of the spectrum.

Question 8

A lunar eclipse occurs when the
A) Earth passes into the sun’s shadow.
B) moon passes into Earth’s shadow.
C) Earth passes into the moon’s shadow.
D) sun passes into Earth’s shadow.

Answer 8

*B) moon passes into Earth’s shadow.

Question 9

A partial solar eclipse occurs for people in the sun’s
A) penumbra.
B) umbra.
C) none of these

Answer 9

*A) penumbra.

Question 10

The cones in the retina of the eye are
A) most densely packed at the center of vision.
B) concentrated along the periphery of vision.
C) uniformly spread along the visual field.

Answer 10

*A) most densely packed at the center of vision.

Question 11

Red-hot and blue-hot stars appear white to the eye because
A) they are too dim to fire the cones.
B) the eye has difficulty seeing color at night.
C) they are overwhelmed by the blackness of the nighttime sky.
D) eye receptivity peaks in the yellow-green part of the spectrum.
E) they are too dim to fire the rods.

Answer 11

*A) they are too dim to fire the cones.

Question 12

In the periphery of our vision, we are
A) sensitive to both movement and color.
B) insensitive to color and movement.
C) more sensitive to low frequencies than high ones.
D) sensitive to movement but cannot see color.
E) none of these

Answer 12

*D) sensitive to movement but cannot see color.

Question 13

If a light signal and a radio signal were emitted simultaneously from Alpha Centauri, the first to reach Earth would be the
A) radio signal.
B) light signal.
C) both would reach Earth at the same time.

Answer 13

*C) both would reach Earth at the same time.

Question 14

Light will almost always travel from one place to another along a path of least
A) effort.
B) distance.
C) complication.
D) time.
E) expense.

Answer 14

*D) time.

Question 15

A surface that is considered rough for infrared waves may be polished for
A) light waves.
B) radio waves.
C) both
D) none of these

Answer 15

*B) radio waves.

Question 16

If you walk towards a mirror at a certain speed, the relative speed between you and your image is
A) twice your speed.
B) your speed.
C) half your speed.
D) none of these

Answer 16

*A) twice your speed.

Question 17

The shortest plane mirror in which you can see your entire image is
A) about 3/4 your height.
B) half your height.
C) equal to your height.
D) about 1/3 your height.
E) dependent on your distance from the mirror.

Answer 17

*B) half your height.

Question 18

Atmospheric refraction makes the daylight hours a bit
A) longer.
B) shorter.
C) longer in summer but shorter in winter.

Answer 18

*A) longer.

Question 19

The twinkling of the stars is a result of atmospheric
A) scattering.
B) aberrations.
C) dispersion.
D) refraction.
E) reflection.

Answer 19

*D) refraction.

Question 20

Light refracts when traveling from air into glass because light
A) has greater intensity in air than in glass.
B) has greater frequency in air than in glass.
C) has greater frequency in glass than in air.
D) has greater intensity in glass than in air.
E) travels slower in glass than in air.

Answer 20

*E) travels slower in glass than in air.

Question 21

A single raindrop illuminated by sunshine disperses
A) either low, middle, or high frequency colors in most cases.
B) a single color.
C) all the colors of the rainbow.

Answer 21

*C) all the colors of the rainbow.

Question 22

The critical angle for a transparent material is the angle at and beyond which all light within the material is
A) diffused.
B) refracted.
C) dispersed.
D) reflected.
E) absorbed.

Answer 22

*D) reflected.

Question 23

Which of the following can be projected onto a viewing screen?
A) a real image
B) a virtual image
C) both
D) neither

Answer 23

*A) a real image

Question 24

Your vision is sharpest when your pupil is
A) dilated.
B) constricted.
C) same either way.

Answer 24

*B) constricted.

Question 25

A beam of light travels fastest in
A) plastic.
B) air.
C) glass.
D) water.
E) is the same in each of these

Answer 25

*B) air.

Question 26

A fish outside water will see better if it has goggles that are
A) hemispheres.
B) filled with water.
C) extremely shiny.
D) tinted blue.
E) none of these

Answer 26

*B) filled with water.

Question 27

If you wish to hit a red fish with a red laser beam, you should compensate for refraction between the air and water by aiming your laser
A) directly at the sighted fish.
B) below the sighted fish.
C) above the sighted fish.

Answer 27

*A) directly at the sighted fish.

Question 28

The moon’s redness during a lunar eclipse results from
A) an optical illusion.
B) only lower frequencies being reflected from the moon.
C) infrared radiation that is normally blocked.
D) refraction by the Earth’s atmosphere of Earth’s sunrises and sunsets.
E) none of these

Answer 28

*D) refraction by the Earth’s atmosphere of Earth’s sunrises and sunsets.

Question 29

Diffraction is more pronounced through relatively
A) large openings.
B) small openings.
C) same for each

Answer 29

*B) small openings.

Question 30

To perceive greater detail a dolphin emits sounds of
A) higher frequency.
B) lower frequency.
C) greater intensity.
D) greater speed.
E) none of these

Answer 30

*A) higher frequency.

Question 31

Light will not pass through a pair of Polaroids when their axes are
A) 45 degrees to each other.
B) parallel.
C) perpendicular.
D) two of these
E) all of these

Answer 31

*C) perpendicular.

Question 32

Newton’s rings are a demonstration of
A) polarization.
B) refraction.
C) interference.
D) reflection.
E) dispersion.

Answer 32

*C) interference.

Question 33

The function of polarizing filters in viewing 3-D slides or movies is to provide each eye
A) a balanced intensity.
B) the ability to see parallax.
C) a stereoscopic view.
D) an independent left or right-hand view.

Answer 33

*D) an independent left or right-hand view.

Question 34

A hologram is a
A) thin photographic film with microscopic images over the entire surface.
B) complex diffraction grating.
C) pair of semi-crossed polarization filters.
D) thin sheet of non-cubic transparent crystals.
E) none of these

Answer 34

*B) complex diffraction grating.

Question 35

Interference colors in a soap bubble give evidence that the soap film
A) has two reflecting surfaces.
B) is thin.
C) both
D) neither of these

Answer 35

*C) both

Question 36

Which of the following is a property of light waves, but not of sound waves?
A) amplitude
B) frequency
C) wavelength
D) polarization
E) none of these

Answer 36

*D) polarization

Question 37

A painting looks less flat when viewed with
A) one eye.
B) both eyes.
C) Polaroid glasses.

Answer 37

*A) one eye.

Question 38

To say that energy levels in an atom are discrete is to say the energy levels are well defined and
A) continuous.
B) private.
C) separated from one another by the same energy increments.
D) separate from one another.

Answer 38

*D) separate from one another.

Question 39

An excited atom is an atom
A) with more protons than electrons.
B) that is frantic.
C) that has one or more displaced electrons.
D) that has excess vibration.

Answer 39

*C) that has one or more displaced electrons.

Question 40

Light is emitted when an electron
A) is boosted to a higher energy level.
B) makes a transition to a lower energy level.
C) neither of these

Answer 40

*B) makes a transition to a lower energy level.

Question 41

A throbbing pulse of electromagnetic radiation is called a
A) proton.
B) photon.
C) notron.
D) lightron.
E) sparktron.

Answer 41

*B) photon.

Question 42

The variety of colors seen in a burning log come from the variety of
A) temperatures.
B) electron transitions in various atoms.
C) absorbing gases between the log and the viewer.
D) multi-layered incandescent surfaces.
E) chemicals in the log.

Answer 42

*B) electron transitions in various atoms.

Question 43

Fluorescent minerals on display in museums are illuminated with
A) ultraviolet light.
B) infrared light.
C) often either or both
D) none of these

Answer 43

*A) ultraviolet light.

Question 44

Light from two closely spaced stars will not produce a steady interference pattern at the Earth’s surface because of
A) their non-point like natures.
B) the inherent instability of the atmosphere.
C) incoherence.
D) their different radial distances.
E) Closely spaced stars do produce interference patterns.

Answer 44

*C) incoherence.

Question 45

Light frequency from an incandescent lamp depends on the
A) transparency of glass.
B) amount of electrical energy transformed.
C) electrical resistance of the lamp.
D) rate of atomic and molecular vibrations.
E) voltage applied to the lamp.

Answer 45

*D) rate of atomic and molecular vibrations.

Question 46

Isolated bells ring clear, while bells crammed in a box have a muffled ring. If the sound of isolated bells is analogous to light from a gas discharge tube, then sound from the box crammed with bells is analogous to light from
A) a fluorescent lamp.
B) a phosphorescent source.
C) a laser.
D) an incandescent lamp.
E) none of these

Answer 46

*D) an incandescent lamp.

Question 47

Astronomers can tell whether a star is approaching or receding from earth by
A) the Doppler effect.
B) its temperature.
C) its change in temperature.
D) its absorption spectra.
E) all of these

Answer 47

*A) the Doppler effect.

Question 48

A paint pigment that absorbs blue light and gives off red light
A) is used in lasers.
B) is fluorescent.
C) does not exist.
D) is fluorescent or phosphorescent.
E) is phosphorescent.

Answer 48

*B) is fluorescent.

Question 49

Atoms can be excited by
A) electron impact.
B) photon impact.
C) thermal agitation.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Answer 49

*D) all of these