CIE IGCSE Physics

Topic Questions

IGCSEPhysicsCIETopic Questions3. Waves3.3 Electromagnetic Spectrum

3.3 Electromagnetic Spectrum

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11 mark

The table below shows the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It runs in order of increasing frequency.

Three parts of the spectrum are missing.

radio waves

X

infrared 

visible light

Y

x-rays

Z

What are parts X, Y and Z?

 

X

Y

Z

A

ultraviolet

microwaves

gamma rays

B

microwaves

gamma rays

microwaves

C

gamma rays

ultraviolet

microwaves

D

microwaves

ultraviolet

gamma rays

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21 mark

The table below shows the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It runs in order of increasing wavelength.

Which region is microwaves?

γ-rays

A

B

C

infrared

D

radio waves

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31 mark

The electromagnetic spectrum is shown in the table below.

γ-rays

x-rays

ultraviolet

visible light

infrared

microwaves

radio waves

q3-easy-mcq-3-3-electromagnetics-spectrum-cie-igcse-physics

Which word is missing from the box below the electromagnetic spectrum?

  • Wavelength

  • Speed

  • Frequency

  • Amplitude

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41 mark

Which list shows the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum in order of decreasing wavelength?

  • γ-rays, X-rays, infrared

  • Radio waves, ultraviolet, microwaves

  • Microwaves, infrared, visible light

  • Ultraviolet, visible light, infrared

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51 mark

Which of the following groups contains only electromagnetic waves?

  • Sound waves, γ-rays, X-rays.

  • γ-rays, microwaves, sound waves.

  • Radio waves, infrared waves, γ-rays.

  • Radio waves, sound waves, microwaves.

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11 mark

Which of the following options shows the correct speed for electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?

  • 3.0 × 104 cm / s

  • 3.0 × 108 cm / s

  • 3.0 × 1010 cm / s

  • 3.0 × 108 km / s

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21 mark

Mobile phone networks rely on electromagnetic radiation to transmit signals.

Which of the following statements is correct?

  • Radio waves are used for mobile networks because they travel over long distances and easily penetrate walls

  • Microwaves are used for mobile networks because they can operate with a short aerial and easily penetrate walls

  • Infrared waves are used for mobile networks because they travel over long distances and are not damaging to soft tissue

  • Ultrasound waves are used for mobile networks because they can travel to the satellites in space

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31 mark

Bluetooth devices rely on electromagnetic radiation to transmit signals.

Which of the following statements is correct?

  • Visible light is used by Bluetooth-enabled devices because it undergoes total internal reflection in optical fibres

  • Gamma waves are used by Bluetooth-enabled devices because they penetrate easily through walls

  • Microwaves are used by Bluetooth-enabled devices because they can reach satellites in orbit as they are not absorbed by the ionosphere

  • Radio waves are used by Bluetooth-enabled devices because they transmit very well over short distances

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41 mark

Which line in the table correctly identifies a use and a danger of the electromagnetic wave given in the first column?

  EM wave Uses Dangers
A. gamma detection of cancers internal heating of body cells
B. x-rays detecting false bank notes mutation or damage to body cells
C. visible photography mutation or damage to body cells
D. infrared thermal imaging skin burns

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51 mark

Communications engineers need to choose whether to send signals as either digital or analogue.

What is the main benefit of using digital signals?

  • The sound is heard more loudly

  • The signal may not always be clean

  • Signals do not need to be converted, saving time

  • Signals are clearer and travel more quickly

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11 mark

Which of the following sentences about infrared waves is true?

  • They can be used to treat cancerous tumours.

  • They can be used to make images of bones, through the skin.

  • They can be used for cooking.

  • They are used to send communication signals to satellites.

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21 mark

Which type of electromagnetic wave is used in remote controls?

  • Microwaves

  • Visible light

  • Ultraviolet

  • Infrared

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31 mark

A forgery detector is used to check whether bank notes are genuine or counterfeit. A type of electromagnetic radiation is shone onto the banknote which makes special ink in the note glow.

Which type of electromagnetic radiation is shone onto the banknote?

  • Ultraviolet

  • Infrared

  • Visible light

  • X-rays

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41 mark

The table gives common uses of electromagnetic radiation.

Which row correctly matches the type of electromagnetic radiation with its use?

 

Detecting banknote forgery

TV remote controllers

Sterilising medical instruments

A

microwaves

visible light

microwaves

B

infrared

infrared

γ-rays

C

ultraviolet

radio waves

infrared

D

ultraviolet

infrared

γ-rays

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51 mark

Visible, red light has a wavelength of around 700 x 10-7 m.

Two other types of electromagnetic radiation, X and Y, have different wavelengths to the visible, red light.

Wavelength of X = 400 x 10-7 m
Wavelength of Y = 3.0 x 10-2 m

Which types of radiation could X and Y be?

 

X

Y

A

visible blue light

microwaves

B

x-rays

ultraviolet

C

infrared

radio waves

D

microwaves

ultraviolet

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61 mark

In what way are microwaves different from ultraviolet waves?

  • Ultraviolet waves travel faster than microwaves in a vacuum.

  • Microwaves have a longer wavelength than ultraviolet waves.

  • Microwaves have a higher frequency than ultraviolet waves.

  • Microwaves are longitudinal while ultraviolet waves are transverse.

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71 mark

Which of the following types of electromagnetic radiation has the highest speed in a vacuum?

  • Microwaves

  • Radio waves

  • Visible light

  • None of the above

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