Name _____________________
Physical Science 3.1
1. What is the nature of Light?
a. Light waves are different from other kinds of waves.
b. When an electrically charged particle vibrates, its fields also vibrate, producing an
_________________________ (EM) wave.
c. Light waves are vibrating ________________ and ________________ fields that transfer energy through
space.
d. EM waves travel ________________ to both electric and magnetic fields.
e. ________________ is energy that has been transmitted by waves or particles. This transfer of energy
is called ________________ radiation.
f.
All EM waves move at the same speed in a vacuum: the speed of ________________.
g. EM waves can travel through many ________________.
2. What determines the color of light?
a. Different wavelengths of light are perceived by our eyes as different ________________.
b. White light is what we perceive when we see all the wavelengths of ________________ at once, in
equal proportions.
i. Remember light colors and pigment colors are different. Paint is pigment colors. All
pigment colors together = ________________ (think of mixing paint). However all light colors
= white.
c. Our eyes only register three colors of light: ________________, ________________, and ________________. All
other colors we see are a mixture of these three colors.
3. Parts of the EM Spectrum
a. The range of frequencies that EM waves can have is called the electromagnetic (EM) ___________.
b. This is the range. The left side represents longer wavelengths which means ___________ NRG. The
right side has short wavelengths (higher frequencies) which means ____________ NRG.
4. Lets take a timeout from our notes to visit De Electromagnetic Spectrum Song:
The Electromagnetic Spectrum Song.
(Wong Yann and Emerson Foo)
The _____________________ ______________ is just a name
Of a ________________ of ________________, let me tell you what dey are.
____________ waves,
_____________________,
___________________ Radiation,
_______________ Light,
_____________________,
Name _____________________
________________,
____________________.
From the TV station to your living room,
That is the work of _____________ waves.
__________________ food in just second,
Microwaves do that.
_____________ treatment for illness,
Take pictures in de dark,
They are even in your ______________ ____________,
___________________ Radiation.
Chorus – which is above
_____,
Orange,
Yellow, ________, blue,
Indigo, ______________.
That is the only part of the spectrum,
That can be ___________ by us.
The sun tan on your skin kill _________ and viruses,
Used to detect _______________,
That is ________ - _____________.
Chorus- again above
See your broken bones and hidden ____________,
That is the work of ________.
Kill ___________ cells and ______________,
Dangerous ___________ _______ do dat.
Now we have completed the Electromagnetic Spectrum.
If you still do not understand, then play this song again!
Chorus
a. And back to your notes:
b. ________________ light has slightly longer wavelengths than red light has. ________________ (UV)
light has slightly shorter wavelengths than violet light has.
5. How much of the Sun’s NRG reaches us?
a. Most of the sun’s energy is in the narrow visible light range, but the sun gives off some
________________ in every part of the spectrum.
b. Not all wavelengths of light penetrate the atmosphere equally. ________________ waves
penetrate the atmosphere easily.
c. Some EM radiation can be ________________ to humans, so we take extra steps to protect
ourselves.
d. ________________ light can be harmful. It can penetrate clouds.
e. In space, the dangers from EM radiation are very high because there is no ________________ to
filter the radiation. So you’d get sunburnt like crazy in outer _____________.
6. How much NRG does EM radiation have?
a. Different frequencies of EM waves carry different amounts of ________________.
Name _____________________
b. ________________ -frequency EM waves have ________________ energy than low-frequency EM
waves have.
c. Because low-frequency waves, such as radio waves, carry less energy, they are
________________. Walkie-talkies and baby monitors use radio waves.
d. High-frequency waves, such as ________________ light, carry more energy and can be harmful.
UV light causes sunburns, and ________________ require precautions.
Recap:

Two types of waves: Mechanical waves and _______________________ waves.

NRG in mechanical waves depends on the height or the _____________ of the wave – think
Tsunami.

NRG in EM wave depends on the freq. Gamm waves have a crazy ___________ freq meaning that
they have tons of NRG. Hence the Hulk. Xrays also have a lot which is why if you have an xray
everyday of your life you will at some point get cancer #MadamCurie. Also, why when you go
to the dentist they put a lead blanket over you to block the rays. Radio waves are all around
us but don’t hurt us bc they have such a low freq = not much NRG.

Order of NRG (lowest to highest) which means highest wavelength to lowest wavelength:
o Radio Waves
o Micro Waves
o IR
o Visible Light
o UV
o Xrays
o Gamma Rays

Mech. Waves need a material to travel through called a ________________. Ex. – sound needs air
to travel in. This is why you can’t hear sounds in outer ____________. There is no air to vibrate.
EM waves (like light from the sun) does not require a medium therefore it can move through
space.