58. The wavelength of X-rays is 0.01 Å. Calculate its frequency.
Ans: Wavelength 0.01Å 0.011010 m
Speed of X-rays 3 108 m / s
Speed of light = frequency wavelength
cv/
v c
v 3 108 m / s / 0.01 1010 m
v 3 1020 Hz
Hence the frequency is 3 1020 Hz .
59. What is meant by scattering of light?
Ans: The scattering of light is the phenomenon when the white light from the sun
enters the earth's atmosphere, it gets scattered or the light spreads in all directions by
the dust particles and air molecules present in the atmosphere.
60. How does the intensity of scattered light depend on the wavelength of
incident light? State conditions when this dependence holds.
Ans: The intensity of the scattered light is found to be inversely proportional to the
fourth power of the wavelength. This relation holds when the air molecules are
smaller in size than that of the wavelength of incident light.
61. When sunlight enters the earth's atmosphere, a state which colour of light
is scattered the most and which the least.
Ans: As the intensity of the scattered light is inversely proportional to the fourth
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power of wavelength of light. Therefore the violet colour is scattered the most while
red the least.
62. A beam of blue, green and yellow light passes through the Earth's
atmosphere. Name the colour which is scattered,
(a) The least
Ans: Out of three radiations the yellow light has the highest wavelength. Therefore
it gets scattered the least.
(b) The most
Ans: Out of three radiations the blue light has the lowest wavelength. Therefore it
gets scattered the most.
63. Which colour of white light is scattered the least? Give a reason.
Ans: The light having the longest wavelength is scattered the least. Therefore the
red coloured light is scattered the least.
64. The danger signal is red. Why?
Ans: The wavelength of red light is longest in the visible light. Therefore the light
of red colour is scattered least by the air molecules of the atmosphere. Thus when
compared to other colours the light of red colour can penetrate to a longer distance.
Hence red light can be seen from the farthest distance in comparison to the light of
other colours with the same intensity. Therefore the red light is used for danger
signals so that the signal may be visible from a far distance even in fog.
65. The sun will appear black to an observer on the moon's surface. Explain.
Ans: Since there is no atmosphere on the moon, therefore there is no scattering of
light on the moon's surface. Hence to an observer on the surface of the moon, except
the light reaching directly from the sun, no light reaches the eyes of the observer.
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Thus the sun will appear black to an observer on the moon's surface.
66. What characteristic property of light is responsible for the blue colour of
the sky?
Ans: The blue colour is scattered the most due to its short wavelength. The scattering
property of the light is responsible for the blue colour of the sky.
67. The colour of the sky, in the direction of the sun, is blue. Explain.
Ans: As the light travels through the atmosphere, it gets scattered in the different
directions by the air molecules present in its path. Due to its short wavelength the
blue light is scattered more than that of the red light of long wavelength. Therefore
the light directly from the sun reaching our eye is rich in red colour while the light
from all the other directions reaching our eye is the scattered blue light. Hence the
sky in the direction of the sun is blue.
68. Why does the sun appear red at sunrise and sunset?
Ans: The light from the sun has to travel the longest distance of atmosphere to reach
the observer at the time of sunrise and sunset. The blue light of short wavelength is
lost due to scattering while the red light of long wavelength is scattered a little and
is not lost much. Therefore the blue light is almost absent in the sunlight reaching
the observer while only the red light reaches us.
69. The sky at noon appears white. Give a reason.
Ans: At noon the sun is overhead and the light travels a relatively shorter distance
through the atmosphere to reach the earth. Because of the short distance of light,
only blue light is scattered and most of the light is not scattered. Therefore the sun
appears white.
70. The clouds are seen as white. Explain.
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Ans: The clouds are nearer the earth surface and contain dust particles. The water
droplets present in clouds are bigger than that of the wavelength of all seven colours
of light. Therefore the water droplets scatter the entire spectrum. Thus the clouds
appear white.
71. Give a reason why the smoke from a fire looks white.
Ans: The smoke appears white in colour due to the size of the smoke particles being
bigger than that of the wavelength of the light. The white light is a mixture of a large
number of wavelengths but they scatter at the same extent since the condition of
scattering is that the size of particles should be smaller than that of the wavelength
of light. Therefore the scattered light appears white.
72. In the white light of the sun, maximum scattering by the air molecules
present in the earth's atmosphere is for:
(a) red colour
(b) yellow colour
(c) green colour
(d) blue colour
Ans: In the white light of the sun, maximum scattering by the air molecules present
in the earth's atmosphere is for blue colour. Hence the correct answer is option d.
73. To an astronaut in a space-ship, the earth appears:
(a) white
(b) red
(c) blue
(d) black
Ans: To an astronaut in a space-ship, the earth appears blue. Hence the correct
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