Electromagnetic Spectrum
WebQuest
Visible Light
12. Why can’t humans see the full electromagnetic spectrum?
13. Order the different colors of light from the color with the longest
wave length to the color with the shortest wave length.
Parts of a wave
● Go to
http://www.webquest.hawaii.edu/kahihi/sciencedictionary/W/wavepart
s.php
Ultraviolet Waves
14. While Humans cannot see UV waves, what organism can see
them?
15. Since the earth’s atmosphere absorbs most of the Ultraviolet
waves, how do scientists measure ultraviolet radiation from other
galaxies and our sun?
Instructions
1. Define the following words: crest, frequency, trough, wave length
2. Draw an example of a wave and label the defined words
Electromagnetic Spectrum
● Go to http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/01_intro.html
● Read each section and answer the matching questions.
● Use the Tabs on the right side to navigate between the sections.
Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum
1. What is the source of the energy in the electromagnetic spectrum?
2. What protects earth from electromagnetic radiation?
Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave
3. Electromagnetic waves and Mechanical waves are different,
explain how?
4. What can an electromagnetic wave pass through?
5. Is light a wave or a particle? explain your answer.
Gamma Rays
16. Why is it difficult to detect a gamma ray?
17. What can produce a gamma ray?
Doppler Redshift
● Go to http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/video-audio/125-ask2006-001What-Is-a-Redshift● Watch the Red Shift Video
● Go to http://vimeo.com/26570492
● Click play animation as many times as you need to.
Instructions
1. What is redshifting?
2. What happens to light as it is Redshifted?
Radio Waves
6. About how long is the wave length of a radio wave?
7. In the Radio Sky subsection, what did radio telescopes help detect?
3. What direction does the source of light need to be moving in
relation to the observer for the light to be redshifted?
Microwaves
8. What is the average wave length for a microwave?
9. How do microwaves cook food?
10. How do radio waves help support the Big Bang Theory?
Electromagnetic Spectrum Diagram
● Go to http://amazingspace.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/light/ems-frames.html
● Click through each type of electromagnetic radiation and fill in the
chart on your paper
Infrared Waves
11. What are three uses of infrared waves?