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Grade 11 · Science · Physics

11th grade The electromagnetic spectrum and its uses worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

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The electromagnetic spectrum and its uses

Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

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Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. Bo's phone uses a signal at 1.5 GHz. What is the wavelength of the signal?

  2. Which list orders these waves from lowest to highest photon energy: UV, radio, X-rays, infrared, visible, Jun?

    • X-rays, UV, visible, infrared, radio
    • Infrared, radio, visible, X-rays, UV
    • Radio, infrared, visible, UV, X-rays
    • Radio, visible, infrared, UV, X-rays

  3. Green light is 550 nm and red light is 700 nm. Which has the higher frequency, and about what is it, Kira?

    • Both the same, since light has one speed
    • Red, about 4.3 × 10¹⁴ Hz, since longer waves have higher frequency
    • Green, about 5.5 × 10¹⁴ Hz
    • Green, about 5.5 × 10¹¹ Hz

  4. The microwave band runs from about 1 mm to 30 cm. Where does a 12 cm wave fall, and what is its frequency, Luz?

    • Inside the microwave band, at about 36 MHz
    • In the radio band, since 12 cm is longer than 1 mm
    • Inside the microwave band, at about 2.5 MHz
    • Inside the microwave band, at about 2.5 GHz

  5. Why can X-rays show a broken bone through skin when visible light cannot, Milo?

    • Bones glow when X-rays hit them, lighting the picture
    • X-rays travel faster than visible light through skin
    • X-ray photons pass through soft tissue; bone absorbs them
    • X-rays are brighter than visible light, so they show more

  6. Why can ultraviolet sunburn skin when visible light of the same brightness does not, Noah?

    • Each UV photon carries more energy, enough to damage skin cells
    • UV travels faster than visible light, so it hits harder
    • UV has longer wavelengths, so each photon carries more energy
    • UV is a hotter kind of light than visible light is

  7. Why can Wi-Fi pass through a wall, but a TV remote's infrared cannot, Pia?

    • Radio waves travel faster than infrared, so they get through
    • Walls let 12 cm radio waves through but block infrared
    • Wi-Fi has more energy per photon than infrared
    • Infrared is too bright to pass through a wall

  8. A radio signal and a flash of light leave the Moon together, 384,400 km away. Which arrives first, Ren?

    • They arrive together, after about 1.3 s
    • The light, since its frequency is higher
    • The radio signal, since its wavelength is longer
    • They arrive together, after about 1.3 minutes

  9. In a vacuum, a wave's frequency doubles. What happens to its wavelength, Tala?

    • It quadruples, because λ goes as f²
    • It doubles, because the wave speeds up
    • It halves, because the speed stays fixed
    • It stays the same, because it is the same kind of wave

  10. Wi-Fi works at 2.4 GHz and at 5 GHz. Which has the longer wavelength, and by about how much, Zee?

    • 5 GHz, by a factor of about 2
    • Neither: they both travel at c
    • 2.4 GHz, by a factor of about 2.4
    • 2.4 GHz, by a factor of about 2
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11th grade The electromagnetic spectrum and its uses worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

The electromagnetic spectrum and its uses. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can order the spectrum by frequency, wavelength and photon energy, and find wavelengths from λ = c ÷ f with kHz, MHz and GHz.
  • I can find photon energy from E = hc ÷ λ (hc ≈ 1,240 eV·nm) and compare bands by E = hf.
  • I can explain uses with wave ideas: why mesh blocks microwaves but not light, why long waves diffract round buildings, why shorter waves resolve finer detail, why skin glows in infrared (Wien's law), and why telescopes go to orbit.
  • I can find signal times (Moon, L1, geostationary satellite) counting every leg, and judge claims such as "microwaves cook from the inside" or "the air absorbs blue light".

Standard: supports HS-PS4-5

Words to know

frequency f, wavelength λ: Waves per second; length of one wave, with c = fλ

photon: One packet of light, with energy E = hf

electronvolt (eV): A small unit of energy used for photons

diffraction: Waves bending around an obstacle or through a gap

Wien's law: A warm object's glow peaks at λ = 2.898 × 10⁻³ m·K ÷ T

Common mistakes

Your child used the frequency number without its prefix. MHz, GHz and kHz must become hertz before dividing into c.

Your child divided the wrong way round. The wavelength is c ÷ f, and the energy is hc ÷ λ.

Your child multiplied by hc. Energy goes down as wavelength goes up, so divide hc by λ.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with the electromagnetic spectrum and its uses?

Your child used the frequency number without its prefix. MHz, GHz and kHz must become hertz before dividing into c.

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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