RE: 'amplitude/height' of the sound wave:
Yes, I agree. I had to guess at what they meant to say on that one, too. But, to be charitable, I reasoned that
[spoiler-alert]
. . . by "amplitude" they could mean "amplitude of pressure", and reading it that way makes it work. It was the "least-bad" answer[/spoiler-alert]
Yes, that is why I chose it as the most correct answer. I just thought the wording was a little off, and when you have a science quiz, I think the bar should be pretty high for wording everything correctly, versus a casual article for the lay-person.
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Regarding the pick on one question, I look up the dictionary definition of the word they use, and it says
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Amplitude: the maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium.
An electrical wave can have an amplitude, or an optical wave, or a radio wave. It does not have to be a physical motion displacement.
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Hence, I do not see a problem with their choice of word.
Yes, I suppose with a little broader definition, you can think of 'amplitude' as the 'amplitude of the amount of the compression of the wave' (or would that be 'magnitude'?). But they also threw the word "height" in there - I don't see how you can assign "height" to a sound wave.
Well, it's certainly true when viewed on a oscilloscope.
Yes, but I did say you could see amplitude on a graph. But that is different than 'seeing' it on the thing itself.
I asked the DW to take the test too.
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DW has many wonderful qualities, but an understanding (or interest) in scientific principles is not one of them. I know better than to ask, especially to ask her to explain her score.
I really hesitated on the magnifying glass. I was kinda confused which way they were looking. That was the only one I found a bit tricky. But mostly process of elimination made it clear to me, just took a little while.
As long as I'm nit-picking, I took another look and (I'll skip the 'spoiler' - just take the test!) ...
Which kind of waves are used to make and receive cellphone calls? It seemed obvious they were looking for radio waves as the answer, but if you think about it, sound waves are used as well. There is no point w/o the sound waves (not including texting). So 'sound waves' is not incorrect.
Which of these elements is needed to make nuclear energy and nuclear weapons? Again, uranium jumps out, but I'd be surprised if this complex process does not also require the use of Sodium Chloride, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dioxide somewhere along the way. So they are 'needed' as well.
emph mine...
Which of these people developed the polio vaccine? Jonas Salk is the only choice among those associated with polio, but the wording is just a little less than exact. Jonas Salk developed a polio vaccine (and was the first). But Albert Sabin also developed an oral version of the vaccine that has been used more widely.
Call it nit-picking, but science is about being precise, and words should be chosen carefully to mean explicitly what you are trying to convey. And scientists often do not have the 'multiple choice' option (unless you consider an infinite number of choices 'multiple choice'!)! You need to be correct, period!
-ERD50