Waves, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Refraction and Reflection Quiz

Light waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation that can travel through a vacuum at the speed of $3 \times 10^8$ m/s, the speed of light. Unlike mechanical waves such as sound waves, light waves do not require a medium to propagate and can travel through empty space.

Transverse waves, such as light waves, oscillate perpendicular to the direction of propagation, while longitudinal waves, such as sound waves, oscillate parallel to the direction of propagation. Transverse waves transmit energy by causing the medium to move up and down or side to side, while longitudinal waves transmit energy by causing the medium to compress and expand in the direction of wave travel.

The relationship between wavelength ($\lambda$) and frequency ($f$) of a wave is given by the equation $v = \lambda f$, where $v$ is the speed of the wave. This means that as the wavelength of a wave increases, its frequency decreases, and vice versa, provided the speed of the wave remains constant.

<p>The electromagnetic spectrum consists of various types of radiation ordered by their wavelength and frequency. From longest to shortest wavelength, the main types of electromagnetic radiation are: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. These types of radiation differ in their energy levels, with gamma rays having the highest energy and radio waves having the lowest energy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Law of Reflection states that the angle of incidence of a light ray is equal to the angle of reflection. For flat mirrors, this means the image formed will be virtual, upright, and the same size as the object. For curved mirrors, the type and properties of the image (real/virtual, upright/inverted, magnified/diminished) depend on whether the mirror is concave or convex, and the position of the object relative to the focal point of the mirror.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Doppler effect refers to the observed change in the frequency and wavelength of a wave as the source and observer move relative to each other. For sound waves, if the source is moving towards the observer, the observed frequency will be higher (higher pitch). If the source is moving away from the observer, the observed frequency will be lower (lower pitch). This is because the relative motion causes the wavelength of the waves reaching the observer to be compressed or expanded, resulting in the change in observed frequency.</p> Signup and view all the answers