Electromagnetic Waves and Speed of Light

Quiz covers the speed of electromagnetic waves in vacuum and various media, including topics like wave velocity formulas, frequency and wavelength relationships, refraction, and optical density effects.

32 Questions Published

Questions

Question 1 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given.
An electromagnetic wave of frequency $\nu= 3\ MHz$ passes from vacuum  into a dielectric medium with permittivity $\varepsilon= 4$. Then

  1. wavelength and frequency both become half.
  2. wavelength is doubled and frequency remains unchanged.
  3. wavelength and frequency both remain unchanged.
  4. wavelength is halved and frequency remains unchanged.
Question 2 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

An electromagnetic wave is propagating along x-axis. At x = 1 m and t = 10 s, its electric vector |$\overset{-}{E}|  = 6 V/m$ then the magnitude of its magnetic vector is:

  1. $2 \, \times \, 10^{-8} \, T$
  2. $3 \, \times \, 10^{-7} \, T$
  3. $6 \, \times \, 10^{-8} \, T$
  4. $5 \, \times \, 10^{-7} \, T$
Question 3 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The electric field associated with an electromagnetic wave in vacuum is given by $|\overrightarrow { E } |= 40\ cos (kz -6\times{10}^{8}t )$, where $E$, $z$ and $t$ are in volt per meter, meter and second respectively. The value of wave vector $k$ is:

  1. $2\ {m}^{-1}$
  2. $0.5\ {m}^{-1}$
  3. $3\ {m}^{-1}$
  4. $6\ {m}^{-1}$
Question 4 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

If the relative permeability of a medium is $ \mu _r$ and its dielectric constant is  $\varepsilon _r$ then the velocity of light in that medium will be

  1. $ \sqrt{\dfrac { \mu _r }{ { { \varepsilon } _{ r } } }} $
  2. $ \dfrac { 1 }{ \sqrt { { \mu } _{ r }{ \varepsilon } _{ r } } } $
  3. $ \sqrt { { \mu } _{ r }{ \varepsilon } _{ r }/{ \mu } _{ { \varepsilon } _{ 0 } } } $
  4. $ \sqrt { { \mu } _{ 0 }{ \varepsilon } _{ 0 }/{ \mu } _{ { r } }{ \varepsilon } _{ r } } $
Question 5 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The speed of electromagnetic wave in vacuum depends upon the source of radiation. It

  1. increases as we move from $\gamma$-rays to radio waves
  2. decreases as we move from $\gamma$-rays to radio waves
  3. is same for all of them
  4. None of these
Question 6 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The electromagnetic waves travel with a velocity

  1. equal to velocity of sound.
  2. equal to velocity of light.
  3. less than velocity of light.
  4. None of the above.
Question 7 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The speed of electromagnetic wave is same for

  1. odd frequencies
  2. even frequencies
  3. all frequencies
  4. all intensities
Question 8 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The formula for the velocity of electromagnetic waves in vacuum is given by

  1. $c = \sqrt{\mu _0 \varepsilon}$
  2. $c = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{\mu _0 \varepsilon _0}}$
  3. $c = \sqrt{\dfrac{\mu _0}{\varepsilon _0}}$
  4. $c = \sqrt{\dfrac{\varepsilon _0}{\mu _0}}$
Question 9 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The amplitudes $E _{0}$ and $B _{0}$ of electric and the magnetic component of an electromagnetic wave respectively are related to the velocity $c$ in vacuum as

  1. $E _{0}B _{0} = \dfrac {1}{c}$
  2. $E _{0} = \dfrac {c}{B _{0}}$
  3. $B _{0} = cE _{0}$
  4. $E _{0} = cB _{0}$
  5. $E _{0} = c^{3}B _{0}$
Question 10 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

An electromagnetic wave passing through the space is given by equations $E=E _o\sin(wt-kx), B=B _0\sin(wt-kx)$ which of the following is true?

  1. $E _oB _0=wk$
  2. $E _ow=B _ok$
  3. $E _ok=B _ow$
  4. $E _owk=B _o$
Question 11 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

If a source of power $4kW$ produces $10^{20}$ photons/second, the radiation belongs to a part of the spectrum called:

  1. y-rays
  2. X-rays
  3. Ultraviolet rays
  4. Microwaves
Question 12 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

For a medium with permitivity $\epsilon$ and permeability $\mu$, the velocity of light is given by:

  1. $\sqrt{\mu/\epsilon}$
  2. $\sqrt{\mu\epsilon}$
  3. $1/\sqrt{\mu\epsilon}$
  4. $\sqrt{\epsilon/\mu}$
Question 13 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

If $C=$ the velocity of light, which of the following is correct?

  1. ${\mu} _{0}{ \varepsilon } _{ 0 }=c$
  2. ${\mu} _{0}{ \varepsilon } _{ 0 }={c}^{2}$
  3. ${\mu} _{0}{ \varepsilon } _{ 0 }=\cfrac{1}{c}$
  4. ${\mu} _{0}{ \varepsilon } _{ 0 }=\cfrac{1}{{c}^{2}}$
Question 14 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The wave function (in S.I. units) for an electromagnetic wave is given as-
$\psi (x, t) = 10^{3} \sin \pi (3\times 10^{6} x - 9\times 10^{14}t)$ The speed of the wave is:

  1. $9\times 10^{14} m/s$
  2. $3\times 10^{8} m/s$
  3. $3\times 10^{6} m/s$
  4. $3\times 10^{7} m/s$
Question 15 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The electric field part of an electromagnetic wave in a medium is represented by $ { E } _{ x }=0 $ ;
$ { E } _{ y }=2.5\frac { N }{ C } cos[(2\pi \times { 10 }^{ 6 }\frac { rad }{ s } )t-(\pi \times { 10 }^{ -2 }\frac { rad }{ m } )x] $ ;
$ { E } _{ z }=0 $.The wave is:

  1. Moving along -x direction with frequency $ { 10 }^{ 6 } $ Hz and wave length 200 m.
  2. Moving along y direction with frequency $ 2\pi \times 10^{ 6 } $ Hz and wave length 200 m.
  3. A and B both .
  4. None of them .
Question 16 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The velocity of electromagnetic waves in free space is $3 \times 10^6 m/sec$. The frequency of a radio wave of wavelength $150 m$, is:-

  1. $20 \ kHz$
  2. $45 \ MHz$
  3. $2 \ kHz$
  4. $2 \ MHz$
Question 17 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

If $v _s$ , $v _x$ and $v _m$ are the velocities of soft gamma rays, X-rays and Microwaves respectively in vacuum, then

  1. $v _s < v _x < v _m$
  2. $v _s = v _x = v _m$
  3. $v _s > v _x > v _m$
  4. $v _x < v _s < v _m$
Question 18 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

If velocity of an electromagnetic wave in a medium is $3\times 10^8m/s$ then find refractive index of medium.

  1. $1$
  2. $2$
  3. $0.5$
  4. $0.25$
Question 19 Multiple Choice (Multiple Answers)

Three observers $A,B$ and $C$ measure the speed of light coming from a source as $v _A,v _B$ and $v _C$. Observer $A$ moves towards the source, $C$ moves away from source and $B$ stays stationary. The surrounding medium is water. If A and C are moving at the same speed, then

  1. $\displaystyle v _A>v _B>v _C$
  2. $\displaystyle v _A < v _B < v _C $
  3. $\displaystyle v _A=v _B=v _C$
  4. $\displaystyle v _B=\frac{1}{2}(v _C+v _A)$
Question 20 Multiple Choice (Multiple Answers)

Three observers $A,B$ and $C$ measure the speed of light coming from a source to be $v _A,v _B$ and $v _C$. The observer $A$ moves towards the source and $C$ moves away from the source at the same speed. The observer $B$ stays stationary. The surrounding space is vacuum everywhere.

  1. $\displaystyle v _A>v _B>v _C$
  2. $\displaystyle v _A < v _B < v _C$
  3. $\displaystyle v _A=v _B=v _C$
  4. $\displaystyle v _B=\frac{1}{2}(v _A+v _C)$
Question 21 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following properties of light conclusively support wave theory of light?

  1. Light obeys laws of reflection
  2. Speed of light in water is smaller than the speed in vacuum
  3. Light doesn't show interferrence
  4. Light shows photoelectric effect
Question 22 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

An electromagnetic wave of frequency $v=3.0:MHz$ passes from vacuum into a dielectric medium with permittivity $\epsilon=4.0$. Then

  1. wavelength is halved and frequency remains unchanged.
  2. wavelength is doubled and frequency becomes half.
  3. wavelength is doubled and frequency remains unchanged.
  4. wavelength and frequency both remain unchanged.
Question 23 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The electromagnetic waves

  1. travel with the the speed of sound.
  2. travel with the the same speed in all media.
  3. travel in free space with the speed of light.
  4. do not travel through a medium.
Question 24 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The apparent wavelength of light from a star moving away from the earth is 0.02% more than actual wavelength. What is the velocity of the star.

  1. $\displaystyle 30{ kms }^{ -1 }$
  2. $\displaystyle 60{ kms }^{ -1 }$
  3. $\displaystyle 90{ kms }^{ -1 }$
  4. None of these
Question 25 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

All colours travel with the same speed in :

  1. Vaccum
  2. Glass
  3. Water
  4. All of the above
Question 26 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

An electromagnetic wave of frequency $\mathrm{v}=3.0$ MHz passes from vacuum into a dielectric medium with permittivity $\epsilon =4.0$. Then : 

  1. wavelength is doubled and frequency remains unchanged
  2. wavelength is doubled and frequency becomes half
  3. wavelength is halved and frequency remains unchanged
  4. wavelength and frequency both remain unchanged
Question 27 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

The velocity of electromagnetic radiation in a medium of permittivity ${\varepsilon} _{0}$ and permeability ${\mu} _{0}$ is given by :

  1. $\sqrt { \dfrac { { \varepsilon } _{ 0 } }{ { \mu } _{ 0 } } } $
  2. $\sqrt { { \mu } _{ 0 }{ \varepsilon } _{ 0 } } $
  3. $\dfrac { 1 }{ \sqrt { { \mu } _{ 0 }{ \varepsilon } _{ 0 } } } $
  4. $\sqrt { \dfrac { { \mu } _{ 0 } }{ { \varepsilon } _{ 0 } } } $
Question 28 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

A certain color of light towards the purple end of the visible spectrum has a wavelength of $420\ nm$ in a vacuum.
What is the frequency of this light?
The speed of light in a vacuum is $3.00\times 10^8 m/s$

  1. $126 Hz$
  2. $1.26\times 10^{11}Hz$
  3. $7.1\times 10^{14}Hz$
  4. $1.4\times 10^{-15}Hz$
  5. $1.4\times 10^{-6}Hz$
Question 29 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Blue light of wavelength $480\ nanometers$, is most strongly reflected off a thin film of oil on a glass slide, when viewed near normal incidence. Assuming that the index of refraction of the oil is $1.2$ and that of the glass is $1.6$, what is the minimum thickness of the oil film (other than zero)?

  1. $150\ nm$
  2. $200\ nm$
  3. $300\ nm$
  4. $400\ nm$
Question 30 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

When light is refracted into a denser medium,

  1. its wavelength and frequency both increase
  2. its wavelength increases but frequency remains unchanged
  3. its wavelength decreases but frequency remains unchanged
  4. its wavelength and frequency both decrease
Question 31 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Mark the correct statements (s) for a very thin soap film (RI = 1.33) whose thickness is much less then wavelength of visible light.

  1. Film appears dark.
  2. Film appears shiny.
  3. Film on glass (RI = 1.5) appears dark.
  4. Film on glass (RI = 1.5) appears shiny.
Question 32 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

When a ray of light enters glass from water, it bends :

  1. Away from the normal due to increase in the speed of light
  2. Away from the normal due to decrease in the speed of light
  3. Towards the normal due to decrease in the speed of light.
  4. Towards the normal due to increase in the speed of light.