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Electromagnetic Spectrum Unit Exam
1. Darnel wants to list types of radiation based on their energy levels. Which list shows the order
of radiation types from lowest to highest energy?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Infrared radiation, microwaves, radio waves, visible light, x-rays, gamma rays, UV rays
X-rays, gamma rays, infrared radiation, microwaves, radio waves, UV rays, visible light
Visible light, infrared radiation, UV rays, microwaves, radio waves, x-rays, gamma rays
Radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, UV rays, x-rays, gamma rays
2. The diagram above shows the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Which type of electromagnetic wave
has a wavelength longer than that of visible light?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Infrared Radiation
UV Rays
X-rays
Gamma Rays
3. Ella is learning about different types of electromagnetic radiation. She makes the following list
about one frequency of radiation:
• Can damage cells of living things
• Blocked by Earth’s ozone layer
Which type of radiation does Ella’s list describe?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Infrared
Microwave
Ultraviolet
Visible
4. Infrared light is often used in reptile habitats. Which of these explains how a reptile benefits from
infrared light?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Infrared light destroys bacteria and other microorganisms.
Infrared light increases the body temperature of the animals.
Infrared light makes it possible for reptiles to see their surroundings.
Infrared light makes it possible for humans to see the animals in their natural habitat.
5. The table below shows the approximate wavelengths of violet and red colors.
What range of wavelengths is visible to human eyes?
A.
B.
C.
D.
less than 400 nm
more than 700 nm
less than 400 nm and more than 700 nm
more than 400 nm and less than 700 nm
6. Cell phones, radar, and televisions are examples of devices that function by using electromagnetic
waves. What property of electromagnetic waves makes them useful for phone, radar, and television
signals?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Electromagnetic waves cannot be changed.
Electromagnetic waves can travel long distances.
Electromagnetic waves travel at different speeds.
Electromagnetic waves are harmful at high frequencies.
7. Denise was driving east over a hill in the afternoon, shortly after a rain shower. Suddenly the sun
broke through the clouds, and she saw a rainbow ahead of her. Which of the following made the
rainbow possible?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sunlight can be separated into all the colors of the rainbow.
Water reflects sunlight like a mirror to make it look colored.
Overhead black clouds reflect in puddles to cause a mirage.
Air pollution causes the sky to look colored under these conditions.
8. When a police officer uses radar for speed control, the officer is using what type of
electromagnetic radiation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Radio waves
Gamma rays
Ultraviolet rays
X-rays
9. What can scientists conclude about a galaxy whose light is shifted toward shorter wavelengths?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The galaxy is very distant and is moving away from Earth very rapidly.
The galaxy is orbiting the center of the Milky Way at a very high speed.
The galaxy is expanding so rapidly that it appears to be moving toward Earth.
The galaxy is relatively close since a distant galaxy’s light is shifted toward longer wavelengths.
10. Quasars are extremely distant celestial bodies. Investigators using a special telescope
determined that a certain quasar was emitting waves with a frequency of 109 Hz. An electromagnetic
spectrum is shown.
The investigators were most likely using a telescope that detects —
A.
B.
C.
D.
microwaves
visible light
x-rays
gamma rays
11. Electromagnetic radiation is energy that travels in waves. Two types of
electromagnetic waves are microwaves and gamma rays. Gamma rays have a shorter
wavelength than microwaves. Which of these statements is true?
A. Gamma rays travel faster than microwaves.
B. Gamma rays have more energy than microwaves do.
C. Gamma rays have a lower frequency than microwaves do.
D. Gamma rays, but not microwaves, can travel through a vacuum
12. Sunlight is composed of energy that is visible to humans and energy that is not
visible to humans. Which statement describes how the visible energy from the Sun is
different from the nonvisible energy?
A. It has different amplitudes.
B. It travels a different distance.
C. It travels at a different speed.
D. It has different wavelengths.
13. The diagram below represents the electromagnetic spectrum. What is the
relationship between frequency and wavelength for electromagnetic waves?
A. Frequency equals wavelength.
B. As frequency increases, wavelength increases.
C. As frequency increases, wavelength decreases.
D. The relationship depends on the speed of the wave.
14. The machine in the picture can be used to send gamma rays to destroy cells in
specific parts of the body.
Gamma rays are able to penetrate the human body because they have which of the
following characteristics?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Low frequency, high energy, long wavelength
High frequency, low energy, short wavelength
High frequency, high energy, short wavelength
Low frequency, low energy, long wavelength
15. Our eyes detect light that lies only within a small region of the electromagnetic
spectrum. This region is called visible light. Which of these statements describes the
visible spectrum of light as seen by the human eye?
A. The lowest frequency appears red, and the highest frequency appears violet.
B. The lowest frequency appears green, and the highest frequency appears red.
C. The lowest frequency appears blue, and the highest frequency appears orange.
D. The lowest frequency appears yellow, and the highest frequency appears green
16. A train passes a stationary observer. Which of the following best describes how
the wavelength and frequency of the sound waves heard by the observer change as
the train gets closer?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Both the wavelength and the frequency increase.
Both the wavelength and the frequency decrease.
The wavelength increases, and the frequency decreases.
The wavelength decreases, and the frequency increases.
17. Which of the waves listed below has the highest frequency?
A. radio waves
B. x-ray waves
C. infrared waves
D. ultraviolet waves
18. When examining the red shift of galaxies outside our own, every galaxy appears
to be moving away from the observer. This observation indicates that
A.
B.
C.
D.
our galaxy is not moving.
the universe is expanding.
most galaxies have the same mass.
Earth is at the center of the universe
Electromagnetic Spectrum Unit Exam – Answer Key
Question
Answer
1
D
2
A
3
C
4
B
5
D
6
B
7
A
8
A
9
D
10
A
11
B
12
D
13
C
14
C
15
A
16
A
17
B
18
B