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GCSE Physics Flash Card Questions

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P13 Electromagnetic waves

P13.1 The electromagnetic spectrum

Question	Answer
What are electromagnetic waves?	electric and magnetic disturbances that transfer energy from a source to an absorber
List the components of the electromagnetic spectrum from longest to shortest wavelength.	• radio waves - longest wavelength • microwaves • infrared radiation • visible light • ultraviolet light • x-rays • gamma rays - shortest wavelength
Describe two uses into the home of electromagnetic waves	• microwave ovens which transfer energy from a microwave source to the food   • radiant heaters which emit infrared radiation that heats the surroundings
What do electromagnetic waves transfer?	energy not matter
What determines the energy transferred by an electromagnetic wave?	its wavelength
What is a   • millimetre   • micrometre   • nanometre   • picometre	• millimetre is 1 x 10-3m   • micrometre is 1 x 10-6m   • nanometre is 1 x 10-9m   • picometre is 1 x 10-12m
Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum can the human eye detect?	visible light from 350nm to 650nm in wavelength
What is the speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?	3 x 108 m/s
State the wave speed equation.	wave speed = frequency x wavelength
Write the wave speed equation using symbols.	v = f x λ
What are the units of frequency?	Hertz (Hz)
What are the units of wavelength?	metre (m)
A microwave signal has a frequency of 25 GHz. What is its wavelength?	25 GHz = 25 x 106 Hz speed of electromagnetic waves = 3 x 108 m/s \( \text {wavelength} = \frac{\text {wave speed}}{\text {frenquency}} \)             \( = \frac{\text {25 000 000}}{\text {300 000 000}} \)             \( = \text {83 mm} \)
What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength in electromagnetic waves?	as speed remains the same for the entire electromagnetic spectrum, as frequency increases then wavelength decreases, and vice versa i.e. frequency is inversely proportional to wavelength
What is the relationship between frequency and energy?	as frequency increases, energy increases i.e. frequency is directly proportional to energy

P13 Electromagnetic waves

P13.2 Light, infrared, microwaves, and radio waves

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P13 Electromagnetic waves

P13.3 Communications

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P13 Electromagnetic waves

P13.4 Ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays

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P13 Electromagnetic waves

P13.5 X-rays in medicine

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