Question 1

Electromagnetic radiation moving through space with the speed of light consists of oscillating:

Accepted Answer

Electromagnetic radiation consists of inseparable electric and magnetic fields oscillating at the same frequency and wavelength, and traveling in the same direction.

Question 2

When visible light passes through a prism of glass,as shown in Figure 3-1 of Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.,which wavelengths of light are deflected MOST by the glass?

Accepted Answer

Shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue and violet, are deflected more by the glass due to their higher refractive index compared to longer wavelengths like red. This phenomenon is known as dispersion.

Question 3

One difference between violet light and red light is that:

Accepted Answer

The wavelength of light is inversely proportional to its frequency and energy. Violet light has a shorter wavelength than red light, which means it has a higher frequency and energy. Therefore, option B is correct. Option A is incorrect because all forms of electromagnetic radiation travel at the same speed in a vacuum. Option C is incorrect because the temperature of a light source has no relation to the color of the light it emits. Option D is also incorrect because photons of violet light have more energy than photons of red light.

Question 4

When white light passes through a prism,a spectrum is formed.This is because the prism:

Accepted Answer

The prism causes different wavelengths of light to travel in different directions, resulting in the separation of the colors and the formation of a spectrum.

Question 5

Visible wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation have a range of wavelengths of:

Accepted Answer

The visible spectrum ranges from approximately 400 nanometers (nm) to 700 nm in wavelength, with violet being the shortest visible wavelength and red being the longest visible wavelength.

Question 6

Which wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum is taken up by visible light?

Accepted Answer

The visible light region is between approximately 400 nm (violet) and 700 nm (red), which corresponds to a wavelength range of about 4000 Å to 7000 Å.

Question 7

In his double-slit experiment,Thomas Young used just a single color of light.Suppose he had used a mixture of two colors.What result would he have obtained?

Accepted Answer

If a mixture of two colors of light were used in the double-slit experiment, two similar patterns would form, with the light of the shorter wavelength forming the more closely spaced pattern. This is because the spacing of the interference pattern depends on the wavelength of the light, with shorter wavelengths resulting in more closely spaced fringes. Therefore, the interference pattern for each color would overlap and create a composite pattern with the shorter wavelength color dominating the spacing of the fringes.

Question 8

Who first proved that light is a wave?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Young is credited with first proving that light exhibits wave-like properties in his famous double-slit experiment in 1801.

Question 9

Who was the first person to suggest that light is an electromagnetic wave?

Accepted Answer

James Clerk Maxwell was the first person to suggest that light is an electromagnetic wave in his famous set of equations known as Maxwell's equations.

Question 10

Thomas Young demonstrated that light behaves as a wave by showing that:

Accepted Answer

Thomas Young's famous double-slit experiment provided evidence for the wave nature of light by showing interference patterns on a screen that could only be explained by the presence of wave interference.

Question 11

If you send white light through a prism to produce a spectrum,and then send the red part of that spectrum through a second prism,the result will be:

Accepted Answer

When white light passes through a prism, it produces a spectrum of colors ranging from violet to red. If only the red part of that spectrum is sent through a second prism, it will continue to behave as red light and will not split into different colors again. Therefore, the output will be red light only.

Question 12

One nanometer (nm)is equal to:

Accepted Answer

One nanometer is equal to 10^-9 meters, which is the standard conversion for nanometers to meters.

Question 13

The wavelength of green light is about 500 nanometers.What is this length in meters?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The wavelength of green light is about...

Question 14

In 1801,Thomas Young performed a crucial experiment on the nature of light when he:

Accepted Answer

Thomas Young's experiment involved passing light through two closely spaced slits and observing a pattern of bright and dark bands on a screen placed behind the slits. This pattern demonstrated the wave nature of light and was interpreted by Young as the result of interference between the two light waves. This experiment provided strong evidence in support of the wave theory of light.

Question 15

In 1670,Isaac Newton performed a crucial experiment on the nature of light when he:

Accepted Answer

Newton's experiment with a prism demonstrated that white light was composed of different colors that could be separated and that these colors were not produced by the prism but rather were inherent properties of light itself. This experiment also paved the way for further understanding of the nature of light and its properties.

Question 16

If you send white light through a prism to produce a spectrum,and then send this entire spectrum through a lens to recombine it,the result will be:

Accepted Answer

When white light is passed through a prism, it gets dispersed into its constituent colors, producing a spectrum. This spectrum contains all the colors of the rainbow. When this spectrum is passed through a lens, the different colors converge back to form white light again. Therefore, the answer is C) white.

Question 17

Newton's prism experiment showed that,when a beam of white light passes through a prism,the prism:

Accepted Answer

Newton's prism experiment showed that when a beam of white light passes through a prism, the prism causes different colors in the white light to be emitted in different directions. This happens due to the phenomenon of refraction, where different colors of light refract at slightly different angles when passing through a medium, such as a prism. This causes the colors to separate and be visible as a spectrum of colors, ranging from violet to red. The prism does not add color to the light or change it into something completely different, and it does not subtract from the light to reveal previously masked colors.

Question 18

Violet light differs from red light in that it:

Accepted Answer

Violet light has a shorter wavelength than red light.

Question 19

When light passes through a prism of glass:

Accepted Answer

Refraction occurs when light travels through a medium with varying densities such as a prism. As a result of refraction, different wavelengths or colors of light bend at different angles, causing them to separate and become visible as a spectrum of colors.

Question 20

In the 1860s,James Clerk Maxwell carried out important investigations on the nature of light when he:

Accepted Answer

James Clerk Maxwell proved mathematically that light could be described as oscillating electric and magnetic fields, which is now known as electromagnetic theory of light. This theory laid the foundation for modern physics and revolutionized the understanding of light. Although Maxwell did carry out experiments related to light, options A and B are incorrect because they were discoveries made by Thomas Young and Isaac Newton, respectively. Option D is also incorrect because a prism does not add colors to light; it separates them.

Quiz 3: Light and Telescopes