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Pathways to Astronomy

Stephen E. Schneider

Chapter 22

The Electromagnetic Spectrum - all with Video Answers

Educators

Chapter Questions

01:41

Problem 1

The frequency of a radio station transmitter is 90 megahertz What is its wavelength?

Alick Cushing
Alick Cushing
Numerade Educator
00:53

Problem 2

Microwave ovens operate at $12-\mathrm{cm}$ wavelength by making water molecules oscillate at the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation. What frequency is this? Explain at the atomic level why some substances heat up and others do not. How does this differ from what happens in conventional ovens at the atomic level?

Mayukh Banik
Mayukh Banik
Numerade Educator
01:41

Problem 3

A yellow photon has wavelength of $500 \mathrm{nm}$. What is its frequency? How much energy does it have?

Sima Sarker
Sima Sarker
Numerade Educator
01:14

Problem 4

What is the wavelength of a photon that has 1000 times as much energy as a photon with a wavelength of 500 nm? Would it be more dangerous to be exposed to 1 million photons with a wavelength of $500 \mathrm{nm}$, or 1000 photons with 1000 times the energy of a 500 -nm photon? Why?

Suzanne W.
Suzanne W.
Numerade Educator
00:33

Problem 5

The energies of electrons in their atomic orbitals are typically about $10^{-18}$ joule. What wavelength of light would have photons with this energy? Which band of electromagnetic radiation is this in?

Mayukh Banik
Mayukh Banik
Numerade Educator
02:23

Problem 6

a. What is the energy (in joules) of an extremely powerful gamma ray with a wavelength of $10^{-7}$ nanometer?
b. How many of these gamma-ray photons would add up to the same amount of energy as a housefly in flight, which has a kinetic energy of about one millionth of a joule as it flies along?

Mayukh Banik
Mayukh Banik
Numerade Educator