Sound and Light Standardized Test Prep

Sound and Light

Preview
• Understanding Concepts
• Reading Skills
• Interpreting Graphics
Sound and Light Standardized Test Prep

Understanding Concepts
1. A family notices that the garbage disposal in the sink
sounds twice as loud as the vacuum cleaner does. If the
sound of the garbage disposal is 80 dB, about how loud
is the vacuum cleaner?

A. 40 dB
B. 70 dB
C. 90 dB
D. 160 dB
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1. A family notices that the garbage disposal in the sink
sounds twice as loud as the vacuum cleaner does. If the
sound of the garbage disposal is 80 dB, about how loud
is the vacuum cleaner?

A. 40 dB
B. 70 dB
C. 90 dB
D. 160 dB
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Understanding Concepts, continued

2. A medical student is examining a model of the ear.
Where should the student look to find the hammer,
anvil, and stirrup?

F. in the outer ear

G. in the ear canal
H. in the middle ear
I. in the cochlea
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2. A medical student is examining a model of the ear.
Where should the student look to find the hammer,
anvil, and stirrup?

F. in the outer ear

G. in the ear canal
H. in the middle ear
I. in the cochlea
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3. What sounds can an ultrasound system, such as sonar,
detect that the human ear cannot?

A. sounds greater than 150 dB

B. sounds greater than 20,000 Hz
C. sounds traveling faster than 400 m/s
D. sounds traveling through a medium that
is denser than air
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3. What sounds can an ultrasound system, such as sonar,
detect that the human ear cannot?

A. sounds greater than 150 dB

B. sounds greater than 20,000 Hz
C. sounds traveling faster than 400 m/s
D. sounds traveling through a medium that
is denser than air
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4. Light striking a pane of glass passes through the glass,
but the angle of the light changes while inside the pane
of glass. What is this change called?

F. refraction
G. reflection
H. incidence
I. diffusion
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4. Light striking a pane of glass passes through the glass,
but the angle of the light changes while inside the pane
of glass. What is this change called?

F. refraction
G. reflection
H. incidence
I. diffusion
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5. A surface reflects all colors of light except for green. A
light filter that allows only green light to pass through is
placed between a light source and the surface. What
color or colors will the surface appear to be under the
filter?
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5. A surface reflects all colors of light except for green. A
light filter that allows only green light to pass through is
placed between a light source and the surface. What
color or colors will the surface appear to be under the
filter?

Answer: No colors, it will be black.

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6. How are radar and sonar alike? How are they different?
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6. How are radar and sonar alike? How are they different?

Answer: They both send waves out and detect them after
they reflect off distant objects. Sonar uses sound
waves, and radar uses electromagnetic waves.
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7. Is sound likely to travel faster through the air on a very
cold day or on a very hot day? Why?
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7. Is sound likely to travel faster through the air on a very
cold day or on a very hot day? Why?

Answer: It is likely to travel faster on a hot day because at

higher temperatures air molecules collide more
frequently and thus transfer wave energy faster.
Sound and Light Standardized Test Prep

Reading Skills
STIMULATING EMISSIONS
Today, there is an astonishing variety of uses for lasers, from CD
players to surgery. Lasers are beams of focused and concentrated light.
The word laser began as an acronym for Light Amplification by the
Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
Laser light is created by first adding energy to a chamber that
contains certain types of atoms. Elements in the noble gas family work
well for lasers. This addition of energy is the stimulation. The energy is
absorbed by electrons in the atoms, which causes the electrons to jump
to a higher energy level. At this point, the atoms are in an excited state.
They can return to their original energy level by losing the energy they
gained. When the electrons return to their original energy level, the lost
energy is emitted as photons. This energy is the radiation referred to in
the acronym.
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STIMULATING EMISSIONS, continued

The emitted photons can then strike other atoms that are
in an excited state and cause them to emit photons in turn.
The new photons are aimed in the same direction as the
original photons. When mirrors are placed in certain
positions within the chamber, the photons bounce back and
forth many times and multiply, or amplify, the intensity of
the photon emissions.
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8. What optical effect is responsible for the amplification
referred to in the acronym laser?

A. refraction
B. reflection
C. dispersion
D. diffusion
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8. What optical effect is responsible for the amplification
referred to in the acronym laser?

A. refraction
B. reflection
C. dispersion
D. diffusion
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9. What happens when a photon strikes an atom that is in
an excited state?
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9. What happens when a photon strikes an atom that is in
an excited state?

Answer: The atom may emit a photon.

Sound and Light Standardized Test Prep

Interpreting Graphics
The diagram below shows the electromagnetic spectrum, and various
ranges of the spectrum are labeled. Use the diagram to answer
questions 10–12.

10. What is the wavelength of red light?

F. about 7 m H. about 5 µm
G. about 70 nm I. about 700 nm
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10. What is the wavelength of red light?

F. about 7 m H. about 5 µm
G. about 70 nm I. about 700 nm
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11. Which of the following statements about gamma rays is true?

A. They have a frequency of 10 16 Hz.
B. They have less energy than X rays have.
C. They have more energy than X rays have.
D. They have wavelengths that are greater than 10 nm.
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11. Which of the following statements about gamma rays is true?

A. They have a frequency of 10 16 Hz.
B. They have less energy than X rays have.
C. They have more energy than X rays have.
D. They have wavelengths that are greater than 10 nm.
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12. As the wavelengths of electromagnetic waves increase,

what happens to the frequency of the waves?
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12. As the wavelengths of electromagnetic waves increase,

what happens to the frequency of the waves?
Answer: The frequency decreases.
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The diagram below shows a ray of light being reflected by two mirrors,
which are aligned in parallel. Use this diagram to answer questions 13–14.

13. If angle θ is 40°, what is the angle of reflection on the

second mirror?
F. 40° H. 90°
G. 50° I. 130°
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13. If angle θ is 40°, what is the angle of reflection on the

second mirror?
F. 40° H. 90°
G. 50° I. 130°
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14. Are either the first or second reflections diffuse

reflections? Explain.
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14. Are either the first or second reflections diffuse

reflections? Explain.
Answer: Neither reflection is diffuse because the light ray is
being reflected by mirrors, which are smooth.