Electromagnetic Spectrum Webquest
Task 1: Click on the NASA: Electromagnetic Link
1. When you tune your _____________, watch TV, send a _________ ____________, or pop
popcorn in a _________________oven, you are using electromagnetic energy.
2. Electromagnetic energy travels in ______________ and spans a broad spectrum from very
_____________ radio waves to very ______________ gamma rays. The human eye can only
detect only a small portion of this spectrum called visible light. A radio detects a different
portion of the spectrum, and an x-ray machine uses yet another portion.
Click on the: Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave (on the Right).
3. Electromagnetic waves differ from mechanical waves in that they do not require
a___________________.
4. This means that electromagnetic waves can travel not only through air and solid materials,
but also through the ___________________of space.
Click on the: Wave Behaviors Link on the Right.
5. Reflection is when incident light (incoming light) hits an object and ____________
_______. Very smooth surfaces such as mirrors ______________ almost all incident light.
6. Absorption occurs when photons from incident light hit atoms and molecules and cause
them to ______________. The more an object's molecules move and vibrate, the
________________ it becomes.
7. Diffraction is the bending and ________________ of waves around an obstacle. It is most
pronounced when a light wave strikes an object with a size comparable to its own
wavelength. An instrument called a spectrometer uses diffraction to separate light into a
range of wavelengths—a __________________. In the case of visible light, the separation of
wavelengths through diffraction results in a __________________.
8. Scattering occurs when light bounces off an object in a variety of
________________.
9. Refraction is when light waves change ______________ as they pass from one
_____________ to another. Light travels slower in _______ than in a vacuum, and
even slower in water. As light travels into a different medium, the change in speed
bends the light.
Click on the NASA: Electromagnetic Spectrum Diagram Link:
10. Fill-in the Table below using the diagram:
Type or EM Radiation
Radio
Two examples:
Microwave
Infrared
Visible
Ultraviolet
X-ray
Gamma Ray
11. Which type of EM radiation has the longest
wavelength?_______________________________
12. Which type of EM radiation has the shortest
wavelength?______________________________
13. Which color of visible light has the shortest wavelength?__________________
14. Which color has the longest wavelength?______________________
Go to the NASA: Diagram Link
Look at the diagram of the EM Spectrum to answer the following question:
15. What two objects does the diagram compare the size or radio wave to?
____________________
__________________________
16. What type of EM radiation has the highest frequency?_________________________
17. What two types of radiation can penetrate Earth’s atmosphere?
_____________________________
_______________________________
Click on the Hazards of EM Radiation Link:
18. List three hazards below:
Post-Question:
19. Would we be able to survive without EM radiation? Explain your answer with
information you learned from the webquest. (3-5 Sentences)
Finished?
Click on the Waves Quiz link and test yourself on your knowledge of the Parts of a Wave.