Test 6: Review B

Question 1

Most of the waves in the electromagnetic spectrum are
A) red light.
B) blue light.
C) green light.
D) invisible.

Answer 1

*D) invisible.

Question 2

Which of these electromagnetic waves has the shortest wavelength?
A) infrared waves
B) light waves
C) X-rays
D) radio waves
E) ultraviolet waves

Answer 2

*C) X-rays

Question 3

Compared to radio waves, the velocity of visible light waves in a vacuum is
A) less.
B) more.
C) the same.

Answer 3

*C) the same.

Question 4

If an electron vibrates up and down 1000 times each second, it generates an electromagnetic wave having a
A) period of 1000 s.
B) wavelength of 1000 m.
C) frequency of 1000 Hz.
D) speed of 1000 m/s.

Answer 4

*C) frequency of 1000 Hz.

Question 5

Which of the following is fundamentally different from the others?
A) radio waves
B) sound waves
C) light waves
D) X-rays

Answer 5

*B) sound waves

Question 6

Compared to its average speed in air, the average speed of a beam of light in glass is
A) more.
B) less.
C) the same.

Answer 6

*B) less.

Question 6

Materials generally become warmer when light is
A) absorbed by them.
B) transmitted by them.
C) reflected by them.
D) none of these

Answer 6

*A) absorbed by them.

Question 7

Sunburns are produced by
A) infrared light.
B) visible light.
C) ultraviolet light.
D) all of these

Answer 7

*C) ultraviolet light.

Question 8

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

Answer 8

*C) the moon’s shadow touches Earth.

Question 9

The sensation of color is seen when light falls on the eye’s
A) rods.
B) cones.
C) both
D) neither

Answer 9

*B) cones.

Question 10

Things seen by moonlight usually are not colored because moonlight
A) photons do not have enough energy to activate the retina’s cones.
B) does not have very many colors in it.
C) is too dim to activate the retina’s cones.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Answer 10

*C) is too dim to activate the retina’s cones.

Question 11

Information-carrying nerves are connected to the retina at
A) the fovea.
B) the blind spot.
C) the iris.
D) the cornea.

Answer 11

*B) the blind spot.

Question 12

Diffuse reflection occurs when the size of surface irregularities is
A) large compared to the wavelength of the light used.
B) small compared to the wavelength of the light used.
C) microscopic.

Answer 12

*A) large compared to the wavelength of the light used.

Question 13

Object and image for a plane mirror lie
A) equal distances from the mirror.
B) at right angles to each other.
C) along the same plane.
D) none of these

Answer 13

*A) equal distances from the mirror.

Question 14

When light reflects from a surface, there is a change in its
A) speed.
B) wavelength.
C) frequency.
D) none of these

Answer 14

*D) none of these

Question 15

It is difficult to see the roadway in front of you when you are driving on a rainy night mainly because
A) the film of water on your windshield provides an additional reflecting surface.
B) of added condensation on the inner surface of the windshield.
C) the film of water on the roadway makes the road less diffuse.
D) light scatters from raindrops and cuts down the light to reach your eyes.
E) none of these

Answer 15

*C) the film of water on the roadway makes the road less diffuse.

Question 16

A mirage is a result of atmospheric
A) dispersion.
B) refraction.
C) scattering.
D) reflection.

Answer 16

*B) refraction.

Question 17

Light travels fastest in
A) cool air.
B) a vacuum.
C) warm air.

Answer 17

*B) a vacuum.

Question 18

Different colors are dispersed by a prism because different colors in the prism have different
A) directions.
B) speeds.
C) energies.
D) frequencies.

Answer 18

*B) speeds.

Question 18

Refraction results from differences in light’s
A) incident angles.
B) speed.
C) frequency.
D) none of these

Answer 18

*B) speed.

Question 18

Rainbows are not usually seen as complete circles because
A) the ground is usually in the way.
B) raindrops are not perfectly round.
C) rainbows are arched shaped.
D) they have no bottom part.

Answer 18

*A) the ground is usually in the way.

Question 19

Chromatic aberration is a consequence of different colors in a lens having different
A) aberrations.
B) speeds.
C) energies.
D) frequencies.

Answer 19

*B) speeds.

Question 19

Your image in a plane mirror is
A) virtual.
B) real.
C) both
D) neither of these

Answer 19

*A) virtual.

Question 20

Which of the following are consequences of light’s traveling at different speeds in different media?
A) rainbows
B) internal reflection
C) mirages
D) all of these
E) none of these

Answer 20

*D) all of these

Question 21

A “burning glass” used to concentrate sunlight in a tiny spot is a
A) diverging lens.
B) converging lens.
C) either
D) neither

Answer 21

*B) converging lens.

Question 22

Stars twinkle when seen from the Earth. When seen from the moon, stars
A) do not twinkle.
B) twinkle more.
C) twinkle less.

Answer 22

*A) do not twinkle.

Question 22

If you wish to spear a fish with a regular spear, you should compensate for refraction between the air and water and throw your spear
A) below the sighted fish.
B) above the sighted fish.
C) directly at the sighted fish.

Answer 22

*A) below the sighted fish.

Question 23

A mirage occurs for road surfaces that are
A) snowy.
B) warm.
C) hard.
D) wet.
E) cold.

Answer 23

*B) warm.

Question 23

Consider plane waves incident upon a barrier with a small opening. After passing through the opening, the waves
A) fan out.
B) converge.
C) continue as plane waves.
D) become polarized.
E) all of these

Answer 23

*A) fan out.

Question 24

Waves diffract the most when their wavelength is
A) long.
B) short.
C) Both diffract the same.

Answer 24

*A) long.

Question 25

For viewing tiny objects in a microscope, diffraction is
A) helpful.
B) a hindrance.
C) not a factor.

Answer 25

*B) a hindrance.

Question 26

Interference is a property of
A) sound waves.
B) light waves.
C) water waves.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Answer 26

*D) all of these

Question 27

Iridescent colors seen in the pearly luster of an abalone shell are due to
A) interference.
B) refraction.
C) polarization.
D) diffraction.
E) dispersion.

Answer 27

*A) interference.

Question 28

Polarization is a property of
A) longitudinal waves.
B) transverse waves.
C) both
D) neither

Answer 28

*B) transverse waves.

Question 29

Some double-pane airplane windows darken when the inner pane is rotated. The panes are
A) thin films.
B) optical fibers.
C) Polaroid filters.

Answer 29

*C) Polaroid filters.

Question 30

An inventor proposes to equip an office with a polarized source of background music and let those who prefer not to hear it wear polarizing earplugs. His idea is
A) a good one, giving people a choice.
B) too much bother.
C) too expensive.
D) nonsense, you cannot polarize a sound wave.

Answer 30

*D) nonsense, you cannot polarize a sound wave.

Question 31

Monochromatic light is light of a single
A) wavelength.
B) color.
C) frequency.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Answer 31

*D) all of these

Question 32

Consider the interference colors seen in a film of gasoline on a wet street. The function of the water is to provide a
A) means of spreading the gasoline into a thin film.
B) chemical bond with the gasoline.
C) second reflecting surface.
D) means of slowing the rapid evaporation of gasoline.
E) all of these

Answer 32

*C) second reflecting surface.

Question 33

Light from a lit match comes from
A) neutrons.
B) electrons.
C) protons.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Answer 33

*B) electrons.

Question 34

Electrons with the greater potential energies with respect to the atomic nucleus are
A) inner electrons.
B) outer electrons.
C) both the same, actually

Answer 34

*B) outer electrons.

Question 35

Ultraviolet light is
A) more energetic than X-rays.
B) electromagnetic energy.
C) present everywhere.
D) produced by crossed Polaroids.
E) none of these

Answer 35

*B) electromagnetic energy.

Question 35

An atom that absorbs a photon of a certain energy can then emit
A) only a photon of the same or higher energy.
B) a photon of any energy.
C) only a photon of the same or lower energy.
D) only a photon of that energy.

Answer 35

*C) only a photon of the same or lower energy.

Question 36

Atoms of neon in a glass tube can be excited
A) once per atom.
B) repeatedly.

Answer 36

*B) repeatedly.

Question 37

The greater proportion of energy immediately converted to heat rather than light occurs in
A) a fluorescent lamp.
B) an incandescent lamp.
C) both the same

Answer 37

*B) an incandescent lamp.

Question 38

Discrete spectral lines occur when excitation takes place in a
A) solid.
B) superconductor.
C) gas.
D) liquid.
E) all of these

Answer 38

*C) gas.

Question 39

The dark lines in the sun’s spectrum represent light that is
A) emitted by the sun.
B) absorbed by the sun’s atmosphere.
C) not emitted by the sun.

Answer 39

*B) absorbed by the sun’s atmosphere.

Question 40

In the process of fluorescence, the input is high-frequency light, and the output is
A) lower-frequency light.
B) higher-frequency light.
C) equally high-frequency light.

Answer 40

*A) lower-frequency light.

Question 41

The white light emitted by a fluorescent lamp is provided by the
A) filtering effect of the glass tubing.
B) high temperature of the glowing gas.
C) mercury vapor in the lamp.
D) phosphors on the inner surface of the lamp.

Answer 41

*D) phosphors on the inner surface of the lamp.

Question 42

Light from a laser is
A) in phase.
B) coherent.
C) monochromatic.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Answer 42

*D) all of these

Question 43

Which of the following continually emits electromagnetic radiation?
A) radio antennas
B) insects
C) red-hot coals
D) all of these
E) none of these

Answer 43

*D) all of these