Question
A student drops a rock in a calm pond. The student observes ripples spreading away from the splash across the surface of the water.
The student asks the following question:
“How are the waves represented by the ripples similar to electromagnetic waves?”
Which statement BEST explains this similarity?
A.
They show both amplitude and frequency.
B.
They destroy their energy at a constant rate as they spread away from their source.
C.
Their speed is constant regardless of the medium they are passing through.
D.
They require a medium through which to travel.
The student asks the following question:
“How are the waves represented by the ripples similar to electromagnetic waves?”
Which statement BEST explains this similarity?
A.
They show both amplitude and frequency.
B.
They destroy their energy at a constant rate as they spread away from their source.
C.
Their speed is constant regardless of the medium they are passing through.
D.
They require a medium through which to travel.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The statement that BEST explains the similarity between the ripples in the pond and electromagnetic waves is:
**A. They show both amplitude and frequency.**
While electromagnetic waves differ significantly from mechanical waves (like ripples in water) in some characteristics—most notably in that electromagnetic waves do not require a medium—they can both be described using wave properties such as amplitude (the height of the wave) and frequency (the number of waves that pass a point in a given time).
**A. They show both amplitude and frequency.**
While electromagnetic waves differ significantly from mechanical waves (like ripples in water) in some characteristics—most notably in that electromagnetic waves do not require a medium—they can both be described using wave properties such as amplitude (the height of the wave) and frequency (the number of waves that pass a point in a given time).