Question

Which of the following statements regarding the affect on Rayleigh scattering is TRUE?

A. The amount of scattering is not affected by frequency
B. Scattering intensity doubles if frequency is doubled
C. Doubling the frequency results in halving the scattering intensity
D. Doubling the frequency results in quartering the scattering intensity
E. Scattering intensity is proportional to frequency raised to the fourth power

Answer 1

Doubling the frequency of Rayleigh scattering results in halving the scattering intensity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement regarding the affect on Rayleigh scattering is C. Doubling the frequency results in halving the scattering intensity. Doubling the frequency of Rayleigh scattering results in halving the scattering intensity.

Rayleigh scattering refers to the scattering of light or other electromagnetic waves by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the waves.

The intensity of Rayleigh scattering is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength (or directly proportional to the fourth power of the frequency) of the incident radiation. Therefore, if the frequency is doubled, the scattering intensity will be reduced by a factor of (2^4) or 16.