Name_________________________ Date__________

Read this passage from the text and answer the questions that follow.

Activity # 2 Wave or Particle?

Electromagnetic radiation behaves like waves of energy most of the time, but sometimes it
behaves like particles. As evidence accumulated for this dual nature of electromagnetic radiation, the
famous physicist Albert Einstein developed a new theory about electromagnetic radiation, called the
wave-particle theory. This theory explains how electromagnetic radiation can behave as both a wave
and as a particle. In brief, when an electron returns to a lower energy level, it is thought to give off a
tiny “packet” of energy called a photon. The amount of energy in a photon may vary. It depends on
the frequency of electromagnetic radiation. The higher the frequency is, the more energy a photon
has.

Questions
1. Describe the dual nature of electromagnetic radiation.
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2. What is the wave-particle theory of electromagnetic radiation?
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3. Define photon. What determines how much energy a photon has?
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Matching:Match each definition with the correct term.
Definitions
_____ 1. transfer of energy by waves such as radio waves and light
_____ 2. explanation for how light can behave as both a wave and a particle
_____ 3. invisible area of force surrounding a charged particle
_____ 4. wave in which vibrations occur at right angles to the direction the wave
travels
_____ 5. packet of electromagnetic energy
_____ 6. wave that consists of vibrating electric and magnetic fields
_____ 7. invisible area of force surrounding a magnet

Terms
a. photon
b. electromagnetic wave
c. magnetic field
d. transverse wave
e. electromagnetic radiation
f. wave-particle theory
g. electric field