Atomic Structure
A student says, “This substance is made of only one type of atom.”
Which term best describes this substance?
What is an element?
The distance from crest to crest or trough to trough.
What is wavelength?
The only type of electromagnetic wave we can see.
What is visible light?
A student wearing sunglasses with dark lenses steps into the sun and notices the lenses warm up.
What property of light explains this?
What is absorption — the lenses absorb some light energy and convert it into heat.
This is a representation of an object, system, or process used to explain or understand something too small, too large, or too complex in a classroom/lab setting.
What is a model?
A teacher tells the class that they will build models of the smallest unit of any element.
What are they building?
What is an atom?
Astronauts cannot talk to each other in open space unless using radios because:
What is sound waves need a medium
These waves have the longest wavelength and lowest frequency.
What are radio waves?
Objects appear red because they do this with red wavelengths.
What is reflection?
A well-supported explanation of why certain natural events occur. (based on large amounts of evidence )
What is a scientific theory?
A diagram shows a positively charged center with two other particles around it.
Which subatomic particle is found outside the nucleus?
What is an electron?
Sound waves are this type of wave because they require matter to travel.
What are mechanical waves?
These electromagnetic waves are responsible for sunburns.
What are ultraviolet (UV) rays?
A pencil appears “broken” when placed halfway into a cup of water.
What causes this optical illusion?
What is Refraction — light changes speed and bends when moving from air to water.
A rule describing a relationship of what happens in nature that is consistently observed and supported by empirical evidence.
What is a scientific law?
Mia is analyzing a diagram that shows a dense center containing particles with positive charges and particles with no charge.
What two types of subatomic particles is she observing?
What are protons and neutrons?
A student shouts in the hallway and another student hears it clearly through a wooden door.
Why does sound travel through the door?
Sound moves faster in solids
List the EM waves from highest energy to lowest energy.
Gamma → X-ray → UV → Visible → IR → Microwave → Radio
This color has the shortest wavelength in the visible spectrum.
What is the color violet?
New telescope data shows details about distant galaxies that scientists didn’t know before.
How will this affect existing theories about the universe?
What is theories may be modified to include the new evidence.
A student claims that atoms cannot be divided and are solid spheres.
Another student disagrees and says atoms contain smaller particles arranged in specific locations.
Which idea aligns with modern atomic theory, and why?
The second student is correct because modern atomic theory states that atoms contain subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, electrons) arranged in a nucleus and electron cloud.
Explain the relationship between frequency and wavelength.
As frequency increases, wavelength decreases (inverse relationship).
Explain why gamma rays are more dangerous than microwaves.
They have much higher frequency and energy, which can damage cells and DNA.
Explain why a blue shirt looks black in a dark room.
No light = no wavelengths to reflect, so no color is perceived.
Explain the difference between repeated trials and replication in an investigation.
Repeated trials = repeated trials within the experiment or same scientists does the experiment again for reliability
Replication = other scientists repeat the investigation/experiment to verify the validity of the results