Light Waves
What property of light makes objects appear different colors?
The wavelength of light reflected into the eye.
What property of a sound wave determines pitch?
Frequency
Which part of the eye controls the amount of light entering?
The iris
What part of the ear vibrates first when sound enters?
The eardrum.
What type of wave is light?
Transverse
Why does a red object look red under red light?
It reflects red light and absorbs other wavelengths.
In which medium can sound NOT travel?
Outer Space (Vacuum)
What is the function of the retina?
The retina converts light into neural signals.
Name the coiled, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear that helps us hear.
Cochlea
What type of wave is sound?
Longitudinal
Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum causes sunburn?
Ultraviolet (UV) light.
How are amplitude and loudness related?
Greater amplitude = louder sound.
What does the optic nerve do?
It carries signals from the retina to the brain.
Which three small bones in the middle ear amplify sound vibrations?
The Ossicles - The hammer (malleus), anvil (incus), and stirrup (stapes).
Compare particle motion in longitudinal vs. transverse waves.
Longitudinal = parallel to wave direction.
Transverse = perpendicular to wave direction.
Why is red at the top of a rainbow and violet at the bottom?
Because red light is refracted less than violet, which bends more.
What happens to a sound wave’s energy when its amplitude increases?
The Intensity increases
How do rods and cones differ in detecting light?
Rods detect dim light/black and white. Cones detect color and bright light.
Describe how sound travels from the eardrum to the cochlea.
Eardrum vibrates → middle ear bones vibrate → fluid in cochlea moves → nerve impulses sent.
In a longitudinal wave, what are compressions and rarefactions?
Compressions = particles pushed together, rarefactions = particles spread apart.
Explain why visible light is only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Visible light is the only range our eyes can detect, but EM waves include many others (radio, UV, X-ray, etc.).
Compare how frequency affects pitch and amplitude affects volume.
Frequency → pitch (high/low sound). Amplitude → volume (loud/soft).
How do corrective lenses help with nearsightedness and farsightedness?
They bend light so it focuses correctly on the retina (concave lens for nearsighted, convex for farsighted).
How does the cochlea turn vibrations into nerve impulses?
Hair cells in the cochlea detect fluid vibrations and convert them into electrical signals sent through the auditory nerve.
Why can light travel through space but sound cannot?
Light is an electromagnetic wave (no medium needed), sound is a mechanical wave (needs a medium).