What does ultraviolet mean?
Word: Ultraviolet
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Ultraviolet means describes light just past the purple end of the rainbow, which human eyes cannot see. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can burn the skin.
How do you spell ultraviolet?
Syllables: ul - tra - vi - o - let
Tricky part: There are no double letters anywhere, and no hyphen: it is written as one long word.
Watch out for: ultraviolett, ulltraviolet, ultrraviolet
Memory tip: The UV index on a weather app stands for ultraviolet: the U and the V start the two parts of the word.
Ultraviolet in a sentence
Example 1: Snow reflects ultraviolet light, so skiers wear goggles even on cloudy days.
Example 2: The museum keeps old manuscripts away from ultraviolet light so the ink does not fade.
Example 3: Some scorpions glow blue-green under an ultraviolet torch.
Fun Fact
Bees can see ultraviolet light, and many flowers have ultraviolet patterns on their petals that guide bees to the nectar.
Practise the CREST Way
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tolivuraelt
a) revaluation
b) violinist
c) ultraviolet
d) ultramarine
Show answer
c) ultraviolet. Ultramarine needs an m and an n, violinist an n and an s, and revaluation an n, so the letters spell ultraviolet.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Welders wear dark masks because the bright arc gives off ultraviolat light that can hurt the eyes.
a) masks
b) ultraviolat
c) welders
d) bright
Show answer
b) ultraviolat. The colour violet ends in et, and so does ultraviolet.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) infrared
b) radiation
c) ultravoilet
d) spectrum
Show answer
c) ultravoilet. In violet, the i comes before the o.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What protects your skin from ultraviolet rays?
a) hair oil
b) hand sanitiser
c) talcum powder
d) sunscreen
Show answer
d) sunscreen
2. Ultraviolet lamps are used in some water purifiers to ____.
a) add minerals to the water
b) kill germs in the water
c) remove the taste of salt
d) make the water colder
Show answer
b) kill germs in the water
