Electromagnetic Spectrum & Light - Webquest

Name: Electromagnetic Spectrum & Light - Webquest Section: 3A Electromagnetic Spectrum Click on the link above and answer the following questions: 1. What is the electromagnetic spectrum? The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of EM radiation. 2. What is radiation? Radiation is energy that comes from a source and travels through space at the speed of light. 3. Open the NASA Imagine Dictionary and define each of the following words. a. visible light Electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths that the human eye can see. We perceive this radiation as colors ranging from red to violet. b. microwaves Electromagnetic radiation that has a longer wavelength (between 1 mm and 30 cm) than visible light. Microwaves can be used to study the Universe, communicate with satellites in Earth orbit, and cook popcorn. c. gamma-rays The highest energy, shortest wavelength electromagnetic radiations. Usually, they are thought of as any photons having energies greater than about 100 keV. d. infrared Electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths longer than the red end of visible light and shorter than microwaves. e. ultraviolet light Electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths shorter than the violet end of visible light. f. X-rays Electromagnetic radiation of very short wavelength and very high energy; X-rays have shorter wavelengths than ultraviolet light but longer wavelengths than gamma rays. g. radio waves Electromagnetic radiation which has the lowest frequency, the longest wavelength, and is produced by charged particles moving back and forth. 4. What is the order of the electromagnetic spectrum from highest to lowest energy? The order of the electromagnetic spectrum from highest to lowest energy: gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, visible light, infrared radiation, and radio waves. Use the visual below to answer question 5. (a) Longer wavelength; (b) shorter wavelength 5. Which has more energy, A or B? Explain your reasoning. Wave B has more energy, because the larger the wavelength the lower the energy. 6. Define a wavelength. Wavelength - distance between corresponding points of two consecutive waves. 7. What is a frequency of a wavelength? Frequency is the number of waves that pass through a point in a second. 8. For visible light (ROYGBIV), which has the shortest wavelength? Which has the longest? Place all the other colors in order based on their wavelength from shortest to longest. For visible light (ROYGBIV) violet light has the shortest wavelength. For visible light (ROYGBIV) red light has the longest wavelength. Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red Electromagnetic Spectrum 9. Click on the link above and answer the following questions: a. What kind of electromagnetic radiation has the shortest wavelength? The longest? The electromagnetic radiation that has the shortest wavelength is gamma ray and radio waves have the longest wavelength. b. What kind of electromagnetic radiation could be used to "see" molecules? A cold virus? Explain your reasoning. X-rays is used to "see" molecules. c. Why can't you use visible light to "see" molecules? Visible light has a longer wavelength than molecules, so we can not see them with visible light. d. Some insects, like bees, can see light of shorter wavelengths than humans can see. What kind of radiation do you think a bee sees? Explain your reasoning. A bee must see X-ray radiation. Behaviour of Light 10. Click on the link above and answer the following questions: a. What is reflection? Reflection occurs when an incoming ray (known as the incident ray) hits a surface. The incident ray hits the surface and then bounces off (reflected ray).The way the light is reflected depends on the surface that it hits. b. Draw a picture of an angle of incident equaling an angle of reflection. c. Explain the difference in how light will act on a smooth versus rough surface. On a smooth surface, the angle of the incident ray and the normal surface will be the same as the angle of the reflected ray and the normal surface. d. Define refraction. Refraction occurs when a light wave travels through different mediums.As it goes through different mediums it will change speed.The direction of the light also normally changes, and the light bends. e. Using proper terms, explain what is happening to the spoon in the cup as well as the water in the pot. Light slows down and bends when it hits the water in the cup.The spoon appears different due to the bending of the light. When light hits the water in the pot it slows down and bends. f. Click the page forward to see the different lenses as well as how the eye perceives images. Explain the difference between concave and convex lenses. Draw a picture of each and how the light hits it. Convex lenses are thicker in the middle than the edges and concave are thicker at the edges than the middle. When light travels through lenses, refraction occurs. The light bends either outward or inward, it depends on the lens.