Mirrors & Light
What is reflection?
Light bouncing off an object.
What is thermal energy?
The total energy of moving particles.
What is a hailstone?
A ball or lump of ice.
What is a variable?
Anything that can change in an experiment.
What does POL stand for?
Path of Light.
What is transmission?
Light passing through an object.
What is kinetic energy?
The energy of motion.
During what type of storm does hail form?
A thunderstorm.
What is the independent variable?
The thing the scientist changes on purpose.
Why does the mass of an open cup of water decrease over time?
Water evaporates and leaves the system as water vapor.
Which object reflects most light: glass, a regular mirror, or a one-way mirror?
A regular mirror.
Which has more thermal energy: ice or steam?
Steam.
What keeps hailstones moving upward inside a storm?
Strong air currents (updrafts).
What is the dependent variable?
The thing being measured or observed.
Is a sealed water bottle an open or closed system?
Closed system.
Why can people see through one side of a one-way mirror?
One side is brighter and the mirror both reflects and transmits light.
Name the three methods of thermal energy transfer.
Conduction, convection, and radiation.
Why do hailstones get larger?
More layers of water freeze onto them as they move through the cloud.
What is a hypothesis?
An educated guess that can be tested.
Explain the path of light from the Sun to your eyes when looking at a basketball.
Sun → Basketball → Eyes.
If 10 rays hit a one-way mirror, about how many reflect and how many transmit?
About 5 reflect and 5 transmit.
Which type of heat transfer causes warm air to rise and cool air to sink?
Convection.
What should you do during a hailstorm?
Stay indoors.
What is a constant?
A factor that stays the same throughout the experiment.
Answer using at least 3 vocabulary words:
Why does the mass of an open cup decrease over time?
Thermal energy enters the water. The water molecules gain kinetic energy and evaporate into water vapor. Matter leaves the open system, causing the mass to decrease.