Question 1

Electromagnetic radiation moving through space with the speed of light consists of oscillating:
A) electric and magnetic fields moving in opposite directions along the same line in space.
B) magnetic fields that, over time and distance, change to oscillating electric fields and then back to magnetic fields in a continuous manner.
C) electric and magnetic fields, always inseparable, always having the same frequency and wavelength and traveling in the same direction.
D) electric fields, with magnetic fields occasionally accompanying them, moving in the same direction.

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?
A) longer wavelengths
B) intermediate wavelengths, the green color
C) All wavelengths are deviated by the same amount.
D) shorter wavelengths

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:
A) violet light travels faster than red light, even in a vacuum.
B) violet light has a shorter wavelength than red light.
C) violet light is hotter than red light.
D) photons of violet light have less energy than photons of red light.

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:
A) adds color to the light.
B) subtracts from the light, producing color.
C) causes different wavelengths of light to travel in different directions.
D) causes different parts of the light beam to vibrate at different frequencies.

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:
A) 400 nm to 700 nm.
B) 1 nm to 100 nm.
C) 800 nm to 1900 nm.
D) 90 nm to 130 nm.

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?
A) 1200 nm to 1500 nm
B) 4000 nm to 7000 nm
C) 400 nm to 700 nm
D) 100 nm to 400 nm

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?
A) The two waves would have canceled each other out, and he would have seen nothing. This is why he used only one color.
B) Two patterns would have formed, one on each color, exactly on top of each other.
C) Two similar patterns would have formed, with the light of the shorter wavelength forming the more closely spaced pattern.
D) Two similar patterns would have formed, with the light of the longer wavelength forming the more closely spaced pattern.

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?
A) Albert Einstein
B) Thomas Young
C) Isaac Newton
D) James Clerk Maxwell

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?
A) Thomas Young
B) Isaac Newton
C) Albert Einstein
D) James Clerk Maxwell

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:
A) light striking a metal surface releases electrons from the metal, with violet light producing more energetic electrons than red light.
B) light passing through two narrow, closely spaced slits produces a pattern of light and dark bands on a screen by wave interference.
C) the speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers.
D) the speed of light decreases when it enters a denser, transparent medium.

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:
A) red.
B) yellow.
C) white..
D) black (no light).

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:
A) 10-¹² m.
B) 10-⁶ m.
C) 10⁹ m.
D) 10-⁹ m.

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?
A) 500 thousandths of a meter
B) 500 trillionths of a meter (1 trillion = 1,000,000 million)
C) 500 millionths of a meter
D) 500 billionths of a meter (1 billion = 1000 million)

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:
A) demonstrated the wave nature of light by passing light through two slits and obtaining a pattern of bright and dark bands on a screen that he correctly interpreted as interference between the two light beams.
B) proved mathematically that light could be described as oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
C) showed that a prism through which light passed added a spectrum of colors to the light.
D) demonstrated that white light was made up of colors that could be split by a prism and that these colors were not produced by the glass through which the light passed.

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:
A) proved mathematically that light could be described as oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
B) demonstrated that white light was made up of colors that could be split by a prism and that these colors were not produced by the glass through which the light passed.
C) showed that a prism through which light passed added a spectrum of colors to the light.
D) demonstrated the wave nature of light by passing light through two slits and obtaining a pattern of bright and dark bands on a screen that he ascribed to interference between the two beams.

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:
A) red.
B) yellow.
C) white.
D) black (no light).

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:
A) adds color to the light.
B) subtracts from the light to allow the previously masked colors to appear.
C) changes the white light into something completely different so that it could not be re-formed into white light.
D) causes different colors in the white light to be emitted in different directions.

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:
A) travels more quickly (through a vacuum) than red light.
B) has a shorter wavelength than red light.
C) travels more slowly (through a vacuum) than red light.
D) has a longer wavelength than red light.

Accepted Answer

Violet light has a shorter wavelength than red light.

Question 19

When light passes through a prism of glass:
A) the prism absorbs colors from different parts of the broad beam coming out of the prism, leaving the complementary colors that we see.
B) different colors are caused by multiple reflections within the prism and the resulting interference between the beams.
C) refraction changes the directions of different colors or wavelengths of light.
D) the prism adds colors to different parts of the outgoing and broadly scattered beam.

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:
A) demonstrated the wave nature of light by passing light through two slits and obtaining a pattern of bright and dark bands on a screen that he correctly interpreted as interference between the two light beams.
B) demonstrated that white light was made up of colors that could be split by a prism and that these colors were not produced by the glass through which the light passed.
C) proved mathematically that light could be described as oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
D) showed that a prism through which light passed added a spectrum of colors to the light.

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

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

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?

One difference between violet light and red light is that:

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

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

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

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?

Who first proved that light is a wave?

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

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

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:

One nanometer (nm) is equal to:

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

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

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

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:

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

Violet light differs from red light in that it:

When light passes through a prism of glass:

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