Earth Space Science Technology and the EMS
A star's apparent magnitude is defined as
the brightness of the star as seen from Earth, regardless of its distance from Earth
A star's absolute magnitude is defined as
the brightness the star would have at a distance of 32.6 light-years from an observer
In what form does electromagnetic (EM) radiation travel?
waves
Given that electromagnetic waves generally travel at the same average speed, what is the relationship between wave frequency and wavelength in an electromagnetic wave?
Electromagnetic waves that have a higher frequency have a shorter wavelength and vice versa.
Although enough ultraviolet radiation penetrates Earth's atmosphere to give you a sunburn when you stay outside for too long on a sunny day, the ozone layer protects us from most ultraviolet radiation. While this is good for life on Earth, what is one disadvantage this causes for scientists?
Most ultraviolet light waves do not reach Earth's surface and can be studied only from space.
Given that microwaves have longer wavelengths than ultraviolet light rays have, what other relationship can you infer between microwaves and ultraviolet light rays?
Microwaves have a lower frequency than ultraviolet light rays have.
Which of the following is a type of optical telescope?
refracting telescope
Which of the following is NOT a part of the electromagnetic spectrum?
sound waves
What is the range of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen by the unaided human eye?
400 to 750 nanometers
Optical telescopes are sometimes launched into Earth's orbit to escape distortion from dust particles and light pollution. Why are some types of non-optical telescopes launched into space?
Many wavelengths of the EM spectrum cannot penetrate Earth's atmosphere.
What advantage does a reflecting telescope have over a refracting telescope?
Reflecting telescopes can be made much larger than refracting telescopes.
The electromagnetic spectrum is typically organized from longest wavelength to shortest. What is another way of describing this organizational system?
The electromagnetic spectrum is typically organized from lowest frequency to highest frequency.
When the sun shines through a rain storm, the sunlight can be separated into a rainbow. Which of the following instruments is most like the raindrops in this scenario?
a prism
A prism separates different wavelengths of visible light into
different colors
If a unit of energy is traveling in a wave at 300,000,000 m/s, which of the following is it most likely to be?
electromagnetic radiation
Which of the following correctly organizes the electromagnetic spectrum?
in order of decreasing wavelength: radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, visible light, ultraviolet light rays, X rays, gamma rays
Which of the following is NOT a part of the electromagnetic spectrum?
magnetic fields
Relative to other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, where does visible light fall in terms of energy?
medium energy
Which of the following is NOT one of the three components of the equation v = fλ?
number of photons
Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is energy that consists of
photons