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6 Radiation is used in many different ways - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 6
6 Radiation is used in many different ways. (a) Which of these can be used both for communication and for cooking? Put a cross in the box (X) next to your answer. ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:6 Radiation is used in many different ways - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
(b) Use this diagram to classify the three types of radiation given in the word box.
Answer
In the Venn diagram:
- Microwaves should be placed in the section that overlaps between ionizing and electromagnetic radiation.
- Beta radiation goes into the ionizing radiation section.
- X-rays fit in the electromagnetic radiation section.
Step 3
(c) Explain the limitations of ground-based telescopes in observing stars.
Answer
Ground-based telescopes face several limitations when observing stars:
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Atmospheric Disturbances: The Earth's atmosphere can distort light from celestial objects, causing blurring and twinkling. This atmospheric turbulence affects the clarity of observations.
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Light Pollution: Urban areas produce excessive artificial light, making it difficult to see faint stars and celestial phenomena. This limits the observations that can be made from the ground.
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Weather Conditions: Observations can be hindered by weather conditions like clouds and rain, which obstruct the view of the night sky and affect data collection.
Step 4
(d) Explain how their two experiments led to these discoveries.
Answer
Herschel's experiment involved using a prism to disperse sunlight into its spectrum. By measuring the temperature of different colors, he found that the temperature increased towards the red end of the spectrum, indicating the presence of infrared radiation, which was unknown at that time.
Conversely, Ritter used silver chloride paper to explore beyond the violet end of the spectrum. He noticed that the paper blackened quicker when exposed to light beyond violet, leading to the discovery of ultraviolet radiation. Neither scientist suspected the existence of these invisible rays prior to their experiments, demonstrating the power of systematic experimentation in uncovering new scientific knowledge.