EM Waves Multiple Choice
PSI AP Physics 2
Name________________________________
1. Which of the following theories can explain the bending of waves behind obstacles into
“shadow region”?
(A) Particle theory of light
(B) Wave theory of light
(C) Kinetic theory
(D) Classical mechanics
2. The wave theory of light is associated with:
(A) Isaac Newton
(B) Albert Einstein
(C) Christian Huygens
(D) Robert Milliken
3. A beam of light has a wavelength of 600 nm in air. What is the frequency of light? (c =
3·108 m/s)
(A) 5.0·1014 Hz
(B) 2.0·1014 Hz
(C) 3.0·1014 Hz
(D) 6.0·1014 Hz
4. A light beam changes its direction when it strikes a boundary between air and water.
Which of the following is responsible for this phenomenon?
(A) Diffraction
(B) Polarization
(C) Reflection
(D) Refraction
5. A light beam traveling in air with a wavelength of 600 nm falls on a glass block. What is
the wavelength of the light beam in glass? (n = 1.5)
(A) 500 nm
(B) 400 nm
(C) 600 nm
(D) 900 nm
6. A light beam traveling in air with a wavelength of 600 nm falls on a glass block. What is
the speed of the light beam in glass? (c = 3·108 m/s, n = 1.5)
(A) 3.0·108 m/s
(B) 2.0·108 m/s
(C) 1.5·108 m/s
(D) 4.5·108 m/s
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AP Physics 2
EM Waves
EM Waves Multiple Choice
7. A light beam traveling in air with a wavelength of 600 nm falls on a glass block. What is
the frequency of the light beam in glass? (c = 3·108 m/s, n = 1.5)
(A) 5.0·1014 Hz
(B) 2.5·1014 Hz
(C) 3.0·1014 Hz
(D) 6.0·1014 Hz
8.
Which of the following correctly orders electromagnetic radiation for increasing
frequency?
(A) Radio Waves, Visible Light, IR Radiation, UV Radiation, X-Rays, γ –Rays
(B) γ–Rays, Visible Light, IR Radiation, UV Radiation, X-Rays, Radio Waves
(C) Radio Waves, UV Radiation, Visible Light, IR Radiation, X-Rays, γ –Rays
(D) Radio Waves, IR Radiation, Visible Light, UV Radiation, X-Rays, γ –Rays
9. A light beam spreads when it travels through a narrow slit. Which of the following can
explain this phenomenon?
(A) Polarization
(B) Dispersion
(C) Diffraction
(D) Refraction
10. In Young’s double-slit experiment a series of bright and dark lines was observed. Which
of the following principles is responsible for this phenomenon?
(A) Polarization
(B) Dispersion
(C) Interference
(D) Refraction
11. Which of the following electro-magnetic waves can be diffracted by a building?
(A) Radio waves
(B) Infrared waves
(C) Visible light
(D) γ-rays
12. A blue beam of light falls on two narrow slits producing an interference pattern on a
screen. If instead blue light a yellow beam of light is used in the same experiment, how
will the interference pattern change?
(A) Interference fringes move close to the central maximum
(B) Interference fringes move away from the central maximum
(C) No change in interference
(D) Bright fringes are replaced with dark fringes
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AP Physics 2
EM Waves
EM Waves Multiple Choice
13. How does the interference pattern produced by a Young’s double-slit apparatus in air
change when it is submerged in water?
(A) Interference fringes move close to the central maximum
(B) Interference fringes move away from the central maximum
(C) No change in interference
(D) Bright fringes are replaced with dark fringes
14. Two coherent light waves intersect at a screen and constructively interfere. The extra
distance traveled by one of the waves could be:
(A) λ/2
(B) λ/3
(C) 3λ/2
(D) 3λ
15. When the distance between slits in a Young’s double-slit apparatus is increased, what
happens to the interference pattern?
(A) The distance between the maxima increases
(B) The distance between the maxima decreases
(B) The distance between the maxima stays the same
(D) The pattern is replaced by one bright line from each slit.
16. When the slit spacing in a double-slit experiment is halved, the separation between the
two adjacent maxima…
(A) is doubled
(B) is halved
(C) is quadrupled
(D) is unchanged
17. When a laser beam passes through a circular aperture, a set of bright and dark
concentric circles is observed. When the aperture is increased, what happens to the
interference pattern?
(A) The separation between the circles increases
(B) The separation between the circles decreases
(C) The pattern is unchanged
(D) The separation between the circles increases and then decreases
18. Light incident on a thin film partially reflects from the film and partially transmits through
the film. What is the phase difference between the reflected and transmitted waves?
(A) 45°
(B) 60°
(C) 90°
(D) 180°
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AP Physics 2
EM Waves
EM Waves Multiple Choice
19. A light beam traveling in water enters air. What is the phase difference between the
incident and transmitted waves?
(A) 0°
(B) 180°
(C) 120°
(D) 90°
20. A beam of coherent light with a wavelength of 600 nm is incident on a diffraction grating
with a slit separation of 1.8 µm. What is the maximum number of spectral orders can be
observed on a screen?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 11
21. Sunlight strikes a glass prism. Which of the following light colors will be refracted the
least?
(A) Blue
(B) Violet
(C) Red
(D) Yellow
22. Unpolarized light passes through two Polaroid filters which are oriented so that their
polarization axes are rotated 60° with respect to one another̊. If the intensity of the
incident light is I0, what is the intensity of the transmitted light?
(A) I0
(B) I0/8
(C) I0/4
(D) 3I0/8
23. When white light enters a glass prism, light is dispersed, creating a rainbow. Why do
some colors of light refract more than other colors to create this pattern?
(A) The entry angle is different for different colors of light, so the different colors exit at
different angles too
(B) The surface of the prism that the light exits from is curved, so the angles the light
makes with the normal line are all different
(C) The index of refraction for glass changes depending on the wavelength of the light
(D) This phenomenon does not occur
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AP Physics 2
EM Waves
EM Waves Multiple Choice
24. A beam of light is going from air through a window at a 15 degree angle with respect to
the normal line. If the angle the refracted beam makes with the normal line is is 4.5
degrees less than the incident angle, what is the index of refraction of the glass?
(A) 0.13
(B) 0.26
(C) 1.33
(D) 1.42
25. Which of the following is true when light enters a denser medium? (Select 2 answers)
(A) f increases
(B) λ increases
(C) f stays the same
(D) v decreases
26. Which of the following phenomena support the wave theory of light? (Select 2 answers)
(A)
Reflection
(B)
Interference
(C)
Diffraction
(D)
Projection
27. Two coherent light waves of wavelength 400 nm intersect at a screen and destructively
interfere. The difference in the distance traveled by the waves could be… (select 2
answers)
(A)
200 nm
(B)
300 nm
(C)
400 nm
(D)
600 nm
28. Which of the following phenomena can separate white light into its constituent colors?
(select 2 answers)
(A)
diffusion
(B)
reflection
(C)
interference
(D)
dispersion
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AP Physics 2
EM Waves
EM Waves Multiple Choice
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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B
C
A
D
B
B
A
D
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
C
C
A
B
A
D
B
A
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
B
C
A
C
C
B
C
D
AP Physics 2
25.
26.
27.
28.
C,D
B,C
A,D
C,D
EM Waves