Wave Basics
Light Interactions
Types of Light and Wavelength
Energy and Amplitude
Space and Waves
100
What is the distance between one crest and the next crest called?
Wavelength
100
What do we call light bouncing off a mirror?
Reflection
100
Which type of light has the shortest wavelength: UV, visible, or infrared?
Ultraviolet (UV)
100
What happens to wave energy when amplitude increases?
Energy increases
100
Can sound travel through space?
No, sound needs matter to travel.
200
Which wave property determines how much energy a wave carries?
Amplitude
200
Why does a straw look bent when placed in a glass of water?
Light is refracted as it moves between air and water.
200
Which colors of visible light are most important for photosynthesis?
Red and blue light
200
Why does sound get quieter as you move farther from the source?
The amplitude of the sound wave decreases over distance.
200
Can light travel through space?
Yes, light does not require a medium.
300
If a wave’s amplitude increases, what happens to the energy it carries?
Energy increases
300
Why does black paper heat up more than white paper in sunlight?
Black absorbs more light energy.
300
Which type of light from the sun is most likely to cause skin damage?
Ultraviolet (UV)
300
Why is a book dropped from a higher height louder than a book dropped from a lower height?
It has more potential energy, which becomes more sound energy.
300
Why must astronauts use radios to talk to each other in space?
Sound cannot travel in a vacuum.
400
Wave A has a shorter wavelength than Wave B. Which wave carries more energy?
Wave A (the top one)
400
What happens to light energy when a material absorbs it?
The material gains energy (often as warmth or change).
400
Why can we see visible light but not infrared or radio waves?
Human eyes detect only visible wavelengths.
400
Which wave property determines pitch(high sound) in sound?
frequency (dog whistle example)
400
Why can we see an explosion in space but not hear it?
Light travels through space, but sound does not.
500
Why does changing wavelength in the Light Wave Simulation change the type of light produced?
Different wavelengths correspond to different types of light, and shorter wavelengths have more energy.
500
Why can ultraviolet light damage genetic material while infrared light cannot?
Ultraviolet light has shorter wavelength and higher energy, which can break down molecules.
500
Why can’t a household light bulb cause skin cancer?
It emits visible and infrared light only, not ultraviolet light.
500
Why does amplitude decrease with distance while wavelength stays the same?
Energy spreads out over distance, but wavelength is a fixed property of the wave.
500
Why can’t compression waves form in space?
There is no matter to compress and move.