Question

khaled is learning about a new kind of metal made by nasa. he is curious about whether light can cause changes to this new metal. the table below shows what happens when different types of light hit the metal. based on this information, can light cause changes to the metal?

gamma ray light	absorbed by the metal

• there is no way to know whether the metal will change or not.
• no. the metal can’t change because light is not a physical thing. light cannot change physical things like metal.
• yes, but the metal can change in only one way, such as by getting warm, because all the light that a material absorbs will affect that material in the same way.
• yes, and the metal can change in one or two different ways, such as by getting warm and/or changing color, because different types of light can cause different changes to a material when they are absorbed.

Explanation:

The problem involves analyzing how different light types (gamma ray, ultraviolet) affect a metal (absorbed). Light absorption can cause physical/chemical changes (e.g., heating, structural changes). Different light has different energies, so absorbed light can cause different changes. The first option is wrong as we can infer from absorption; the second is wrong (light is physical, carries energy to change matter); the third is wrong (different light can cause different changes, not just one way). The fourth option correctly states light absorption can lead to multiple change types due to different light properties.

Answer:

Yes, and the metal can change in one or two different ways, such as by getting warm and/or changing color, because different types of light can cause different changes to a material when they are absorbed.