Vocabulary Homework - Electromagnetic Radiation

Vocabulary Homework Word Definition Example Electromagnetic radiation Energy that travels through space as waves Visible light, X-rays, and radio waves are all forms of electric and magnetic fields. of electromagnetic radiation. Wavelength The distance between two consecutive crests or troughs of a wave. Red light has a longer wavelength than blue light. Frequency The number of wave cycles that pass a point per second, measured in hertz (Hz). A radio station broadcasting at 101.1 MHz has a frequency of 101.1 million cycles per second. Amplitude The height of a wave, which indicates its energy. A loud sound has a greater amplitude than a soft sound. Electromagnetic spectrum The full range of electromagnetic waves, from radio waves to gamma rays. Microwaves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Quantum The smallest amount of energy that can be An electron can absorb a quantum of energy and gained or lost by an atom. jump to a higher energy level. Planck’s constant A fundamental constant that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency (h = 6.626 × 10?³? J·s). Used in the formula E = hf to calculate photon energy. Photoelectric effect The emission of electrons from a material when light shines on it. Solar panels work because of the photoelectric effect. Photon A particle of light that carries energy but has no mass. A photon of ultraviolet light has more energy than a photon of infrared light. Atomic emission spectrum The unique set of light wavelengths emitted Fireworks produce different colors because of the by atoms when electrons fall to lower atomic emission spectra of elements like strontium energy levels. (red) and copper (blue).