Scattering

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/scattering

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the governing principles?Interaction of waves/particles with matter, dependent on size and wavelength
2. What is the key theoretical developments?Rayleigh scattering (1870s), Mie scattering (early 1900s), Quantum scattering theory (20th century)
3. Why does the sky look blue?Short blue light waves are scattered more by tiny air molecules. This is called Rayleigh scattering and it makes the sky appear blue.
4. How do clouds look white?Clouds contain water droplets that are about the same size as light waves. They scatter all colors roughly the same, so clouds look white. This is explained by Mie scattering.

Electromagnetic Radiation: Energy that travels in waves, including visible light, radio waves, and X-rays.
Cross-Section: A measure in particle physics representing the probability of a particular scattering event occurring.
Inelastic Scattering: Scattering where the scattered particle or wave loses some energy to the target, often changing its frequency.