Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________ Class/Number: ____________

Quiz: Waves and Electromagnetic Spectrum

Choose the response that best completes each statement or answers each question. Clearly
place your answers (1, 2, 3, or 4) in the space on the answer sheet provided (page 7).

1. Sound will not travel in a (1) solid (2) liquid (3) gas (4) vacuum
2. The drawings below represent four different forms of electromagnetic energy.

Which diagram represents electromagnetic energy with the shortest wavelength?

(1) A (2) B (3) C (4) D

3. Which statement best describes the property of light waves illustrated in

the diagram below?

(1) Some materials absorb light waves.

(2) Some materials reflect light waves.
(3) Light waves are refracted by some materials.
(4) Light waves are emitted by some materials.

4. Skiers often wear sunglasses while they are skiing because snow
(1) radiates light (2) conducts light (3) absorbs light (4) reflects light

5. When placed in direct sunlight, which object will absorb the most visible
light energy? (1) a piece of clear glass (2) a snowball (3) a shiny mirror
(4) a black sweater

The diagram below shows a light ray.

6. In this diagram, the light ray is being

(1) transmitted (2) reflected
(3) absorbed (4) refracted
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Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________ Class/Number: ____________

7. A common characteristic of sound waves is that they

(1) are created by vibrations
(2) travel in straight lines toward the source
(3) travel fastest through empty space
(4) move at the speed of light

8. The diagram below shows a boy observing a fish located at position B below
the surface of the water. The boy sees the fish at position A.

The apparent position of the fish is different from the actual position of the fish. What has
happened to the light passing through the water to cause this difference?
(1) reflection (2) compression (3) absorption (4) refraction

9. The diagram below shows what occurs when a ray of light strikes and enters a pond.

Which property of light is illustrated when the ray enters the pond?
(1) refraction (2) absorption (3) reflection (4) emission

The diagram below shows the relative wavelengths for several types of electromagnetic energy.
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10. Which type of electromagnetic energy has a shorter wavelength than

ultraviolet waves? (1) visible light (2) x rays (3) microwaves (4) infrared light
Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________ Class/Number: ____________

The diagram below represents several forms of electromagnetic energy.

11. Which feature best distinguishes one form of electromagnetic energy from another?
(1) color (2) wavelength (3) surface temperature (4) distance traveled

12. Sound will not travel in a (1) solid (2) liquid (3) gas (4) vacuum

13. The picture below shows a bird landing at a bird feeder outside a window.

The image of this bird in the window is the result of light being
(1) absorbed (2) transmitted (3) reflected (4) refracted

14. Which diagram best represents light being reflected after striking the flat surface of a mirror?

15. People often wear sunglasses in polar regions because most of the sunlight
that strikes a snow-covered surface is (1) reflected (2) refracted
(3) absorbed (4) transmitted
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16. Which form of energy are x rays and ultraviolet light?

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(1) nuclear (2) electromagnetic (3) heat (4) chemical

Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________ Class/Number: ____________

Use the diagram below to answer questions 17 through 21 that follow.

17. What kind of wave is represented by this diagram?

18. What part of a wave is shown at point F?
19. What part of a wave is shown at point H?
20. What part of a wave is shown by the distance indicated by G?
21. What part of a wave is shown by the distance indicated by J?

Use the diagram below to answer questions 22 through 24 that follow.

22. What kind of wave is represented in this diagram?

23. What part of a wave is shown by A?
24. What part of a wave is shown by B?

25. The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection is a statement of the
Law of _______________________.

26. The number of waves which pass a point in one second is a measure of the
___________________ of the wave.
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Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________ Class/Number: ____________

Base your answers to questions 27 through 31 on the diagrams below and on your knowledge of
science.

Diagram 1 represents different forms of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum. Diagram 2

represents what happens to the different forms of electromagnetic waves when they pass through
Earth’s atmosphere.

27. Identify the color of visible light with the longest wavelength.
28. Identify the kind of electromagnetic wave with the highest frequency.
29. Identify the kind of electromagnetic wave with the greatest energy.

30. According to diagram 2, which two forms of electromagnetic energy mostly

pass through the atmosphere to Earth’s surface?

31. Ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer in humans and other living things.
Explain why the depletion of the ozone layer by pollutants has increased the
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risk of skin cancer.

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Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________ Class/Number: ____________

Base your answers to questions 32 and 33 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of science.
The diagram shows various forms of electromagnetic energy.

32. Four forms of electromagnetic

energy are listed below:
visible light
ultraviolet light
x rays
microwaves
In the chart at the right, list these four forms of
electromagnetic energy in order from the
longest wavelength to the shortest wavelength.

33. Four forms of electromagnetic energy are listed below:

visible light
ultraviolet light
x rays
microwaves
Complete the chart below by identifying the form of electromagnetic energy from the list that is
described by each fact. Use each form of energy only once.

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Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________ Class/Number: ____________

Quiz: Waves and Electromagnetic Spectrum Answer Sheet – Mark all answers CLEARLY*

Multiple Choice Section 11. _______

1. ______ 6. _______ 12. _______

2. ______ 7. _______ 13. _______

3. ______ 8. _______ 14. _______

4. ______ 9. _______ 15. _______

5. _______ 10. _______ 16. _______

Short Answer Section

17. ____________________________ 22. _______________________________

18. ____________________________ 23. _______________________________

19. ____________________________ 24. _______________________________

20. ____________________________ 25. _______________________________

21. ____________________________ 26. _______________________________

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27. ____________________________

28. ____________________________

29. ____________________________

30. ____________________________ and ______________________________

31. __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
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