Name
Date
ScienceHelpNow.com
Waves: Section 11-5
“The Electromagnetic Spectrum”
Period
Time : 36 minutes – 23 seconds
You have a copy of the chart below to fully understand this section. The video is explaining what the chart shows
you. I have included a small copy of the chart below, but you should print out your own full sized copy from the
Internet. One of the places where you can find the chart is on the New York State Regents Exam website
www.nysedregents.org After you go to the website, click on “Reference Tables” and then click on “2006 Edition
of the Reference Tables for Physical Setting/Physics”
1. What is the title of the chart we will be studying in this video?
2. “The Electromagnetic Spectrum” means all of the different types of __________________
3. Light waves are one type of _______________________________ wave.
below.
Draw a transverse wave in the space
4. Because light can travel as a wave, every light wave has a _________________________________
Symbol (
) and a ____________________________________ Symbol (
5. Numbers for Wavelength are shown on the (
top
,
bottom
)
) of the chart.
6. Short Wavelengths are shown to the (
The wavelength numbers
(
left
increase
,
,
right
decrease
) on the chart.
) as you move to the right on the chart.
7. What are the eight ( 8 ) types of light listed on the chart from left to right in order of generally increasing
wavelength?
Smallest Wavelength
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________ (and TV waves, and FM and AM Radio)
______________________________
8. Numbers for Frequency are shown on the (
9. High Frequencies are shown to the (
The frequency numbers
(
increase
top
left
,
,
,
bottom
right
decrease
) of the chart.
) on the chart.
) as you move to the right on the chart.
10. As we move to the right on the chart, the wavelengths ______________________ and the
frequencies _______________________ . This shows that there is an ______________________
relationship between wavelength and frequency.
11. Look at the diagram of a transverse wave shown below. Comparing this diagram to the transverse wave in
the next question ( #12 ) describe the wavelength as long or short and the frequency as low or high on the lines
provided to the right of the diagram.
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
12. Look at the diagram of a transverse wave shown below. Comparing this diagram to the transverse wave in
the previous question ( #11 ) describe the wavelength as long or short and the frequency as low or high on the lines
provided to the right of the diagram.
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
13. Types of light found to the left of visible light, having shorter ___________________________________
and ____________ frequencies than visible light, are generally considered to be
(
safe
,
dangerous
) because high frequencies mean high energies.
14. Types of light found to the right of visible light, having longer ___________________________________
and ____________ frequencies than visible light, are generally considered to be
(
safe
,
dangerous
) because low frequencies mean low energies.
15. Write the equation which shows the direct
relationship between frequency and energy
of a light wave in the space to the right.
16. High Frequency light is also High Energy light, because there is a __________________ relationship between
______________________________ and ___________________________ .
17. Name three types of light which are more dangerous than visible light.
a. _________________________________
b. _________________________________
c. _________________________________
These types of light have ________________________ wavelengths, _____________________
frequencies and _______________________ energy than visible light.
18. Which picture below could be violet light and which could be red light?
________________________________
_____________________________________
19. Name three types of light which are relatively safe.
a. _________________________________
b. _________________________________
c. _________________________________
These types of light have ________________________ wavelengths, _____________________
frequencies and _______________________ energy than visible light.
20. Using the chart in the video or a copy of the chart, answer the questions below comparing the wavelengths and
frequencies of different types of light to each other.
a. Ultraviolet Light has a ________________ wavelength and _____________ frequency than
Microwaves.
a. Infrared Light has a ________________ wavelength and _____________ frequency than Gamma Rays.
a. Green Light has a ________________ wavelength and _____________ frequency than Orange Light.
a. X-Rays have a ________________ wavelength and _____________ frequency than Gamma Rays.
a. Yellow Light has a ________________ wavelength and _____________ frequency than Blue Light.
21. Explain how high frequency light such as X-Rays and Ultraviolet Rays can harm human beings.
22. Explain how ozone molecules high in the atmosphere protect all of the living things on Earth from high
frequency light such as X-Rays and Ultraviolet Rays
23. What are two synonyms for “infrared radiation” ?
___________________________________
_________________________________
24. What is the only type of light that we can see? __________________________________
25. For each frequency of light listed below, look up the type or types of light that it could be and write them on
the lines provided.
Frequency
Type or Types of Light
3.25 x 1015 Hz
______________________________ , _____________________________
2.00 x 107 Hz
______________________________ , _____________________________
4.76 x 109 Hz
______________________________ , _____________________________
26. Each frequency of light listed below represents a particular color of visible light. For each frequency of light
listed below, look up the color and write it on the lines provided.
Frequency
Color of Visible Light
6.47 x 1014 Hz
______________________________
5.05 x 1014 Hz
______________________________
5.00 x 1014 Hz
______________________________
27. When you are given a wavelength and asked to identify the type of light or the color of visible light, you need to
first convert it to frequency before you look it up on the chart. The wavelengths just aren’t that accurate on this
particular chart. Use the equation shown below,
v
f = ----λ
and knowing that the speed of light in a vacuum is 3.00 x 108 m/s (that’s v in the equation)
calculate the frequency for each example below, then identify the type of light or its color.
a. The wavelength of a particular type of light is
7.06 x 10-3 m. Convert this to frequency and
identify the type of light.
______________________________________
b. The wavelength of a particular type of light is
4.17 x 10-7 m. Convert this to frequency and
identify the type of light and color.
______________________________________
c. The wavelength of a particular type of light is
1.00 x 10-11 m. Convert this to frequency and
identify the two types of light it could be.
______________________________________
______________________________________
28. Radio Waves are actually a type of light. Radio Waves travel through the air to your radio (in your
car, for example). The radio converts the radio waves into _____________________________ waves.