Electromagnetic
Spectrum
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
What are Electromagnetic
Waves ?
• If you have ever tuned in to listen to a radio,
spoken on a handphone, turned on a light, had
an X-ray taken, felt the warmth of sun on your
skin.
• You have experienced electromagnetic wave
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Electromagnetic wave
Electric field
Produced by Simultaneous vibration
Magnetic field
Electric field
Magnetic field
http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnujava/viewtopic.php?t=52
Wavelength of Electromagnetic Waves
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Hence this is the complete EM wave spectrum (the waves below
in ascending order of wavelength;
descending order of frequency )
Gamma x-rays Ultra-violet Visible Infra- Microwave Radio wave
rays ray light red ray
Highest f Lowest f
Shortest λ Longest λ
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Properties of EM Wave
1. All electromagnetic waves are transverse
wave
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2. They do not require any medium to travel
through (recall: Radiation Infra red is an EM Wave)
3. They travel at the speed of 3x108 ms-1 in
vacuum (recall: speed of light light is also an EM Wave)
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4. They can all be reflected or refracted
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5. They can all be emitted or absorbed by
matter
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6. They all obey the wave equation
v =f x λ
Where v = speed of wave (m/s)
f = frequency of wave (Hz)
λ = wavelength (m)
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Tr i v i a !
What did Newton and Huygens say
after debating?
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7. Their frequencies do not change as
they pass from one medium to
another. However, both their speed
and wavelength will change.
v =f x λ
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8. They carry energy from one place to
another
9. They are all of
neutral charge as all
of them oscillate
with electric and
magnetic field
perpendicular to
each other.
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Wave Speed Equation Practice Problems
1. A wave has frequency of 50 Hz and a
wavelength of 10 m. What is the speed of
the wave?
2. A wave has frequency of 5 Hz and a speed
of 25 m/s. What is the wavelength of the
wave?
3. A wave has wavelength of 10 m and a
speed of 340 m/s. What is the frequency of
the wave?
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Radio waves
Radio waves are the electromagnetic waves
with the longest wavelengths and lowest
frequencies
Like all electromagnetic waves, radio waves
can travel through a vacuum. However
most of the radio waves we receive have
traveled through air. Take the radio as an
example. The radio converts the
electromagnetic waves into the sound
that comes out of the radio speakers.
Uses of radio waves:
a) Radio and television communication
(to transmit sound and picture
information over long distance)
b) Radar & satellite communication
c) Navigation or ships & aircrafts
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Heinrich Rudolf Hertz
(1857 - 1894)
Image credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinric
h_Hertz
He set up electric circuits that produced
oscillations and managed to produce
electromagnetic radiation with a
wavelength of 66cm (over a million times
longer than light). This radiation could be
picked up by other circuits set up quite a
distance away. The new radiation was first
called Hertzian Waves; this became
Image Credit:
Radiotelegraphic Waves after Marconi. We
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.
html
now call them Radio Waves.
[http://www.krysstal.com/spectrum.html]
Radio waves
• Have the longest wavelengths and
lowest frequencies of all the
electromagnetic waves.
• A radio picks up radio waves through
an antenna and converts it to sound
waves.
• Each radio station in an area
broadcasts at a different frequency.
# on radio dial tells frequency.
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Microwaves
One of their most common uses is in
microwave ovens. When you switch on
a microwave oven , it gives off
electromagnetic waves that bounce
around inside the oven, penetrating the
food. Water molecules in the food
absorb the energy from the microwaves,
causing the food to get hot.
Other uses of microwaves:
a) Radar communication (as it is not easily
blocked of by buildings/trees)
b) Analysis of fine details of molecular and
atomic structure
c) Useful demonstration of all wave
properties on macroscopic scale
d) Telephone communication (mobile
phones, etc)
Microwaves
Used by cell phones and pagers.
RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging)
(Used to find the speed of an object by
sending out radio waves and measuring
the time it takes them to return.)
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Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
The scientists discovered the cosmic
microwave background radiation. This
radiation, which fills the entire Universe, is
believed to be a clue to it's beginning,
something known as the Big Bang.
Perry Spencer (1894 - 1970) -
invented the microwave oven
In 1945, Percy Spencer was experimenting with a
new vacuum tube called a magnetron while
doing research for the Raytheon Corporation. He
was intrigued when the candy bar in his pocket
began to melt, so he tried another experiment
with popcorn. When it began to pop, Spencer
immediately saw the potential in this
revolutionary process. In 1947, Raytheon built
Image Credit: the first microwave oven, the Radarange.
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.h
tml
[http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/scientific-experiments/9-things-
invented-or-discovered-by-accident2.htm]
Infra-red waves
Infrared= below red
Shorter wavelength and higher
frequency than microwaves.
You can feel the longest ones as warmth
on your skin
Heat lamps give off infrared waves.
Warm objects give off more heat
energy than cool objects.
Thermogram—a picture that shows
regions of different temperatures in the
body. Temperatures are calculated by
the amount of infrared radiation given
off. Therefore people give off infrared
rays.
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Frederick
William Herschel
(1738 - 1822)
Image credit:
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/c
osmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/discover
y.html
In 1800 he performed a famous experiment where
he tried to measure the temperature of different
colours of the spectrum by placing a thermometer
on each colour. He found to his amazement that
the hottest part of the spectrum was in a place
where there was no colour at all. It was a spot
beyond the red end of the spectrum. For the first
time it was possible to talk about invisible light.
This hot light became known as Infra Red (below
the red) because it was shown to have longer
Image Credit: wavelength than visible light.
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum [http://www.krysstal.com/spectrum.html]
1.html
Infra-red waves
Heat can be transferred through infrared
radiation.
We often think of infra red as being the same
thing as 'heat', because it makes our skin feel
warm.
Most of you might have seen infra-red waves in use
during the SARS period. (picture on the top right hand
corner). It shows a thermo-detector which is placed
outside hospitals/airport to identify the warm and cool
parts of a person by analyzing infra-red radiation emitted
from the person’s body. And through this we can see if
someone is having a fever.
Infra red is useful for:
-For navigation through fog &
haze as it is less easily scattered
compared to visible light
-Medical treatment : to warm injured
muscles/sports injuries
Visible Light
Visible light is the part of the EM
spectrum which can be detected by the
human eye.
The visible light has its own spectrum
which consist of the 7 colours of light :
Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo
Violet
An example of visible light is the
colourful laser light or the light from a
firework.
Some of the uses of light is in
optical fibres in medicine and
telecommunications.
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The modern
understanding of
light and color
begins with Isaac
Newton.
Image credit:
http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/bh.html
Newton set up a prism near his
window, and projected a beautiful
spectrum 22 feet onto the far wall.
Further, to prove that the prism was
Image Credit:
not coloring the light, he refracted
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/e
mspectrum1.html the light back together.
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Properties of Visible Light
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Light waves
• All waves in the • The range of wavelengths of
electromagnetic spectrum are visible light is from about 380
light waves nanometers to about 740
• Visible light – part of the nanometers; human eyes do not
spectrum that humans CAN detect wavelengths outside of
see this range
• Human eyes are equipped with • The visible light range further
special cone-shaped cells that divides into smaller regions
act as receivers to the depending on wavelength;
wavelengths of visible light. humans recognize these smaller
• Human eyes detect the regions as colors.
brightness, or intensity, of
visible light, which is
determined by the amplitude
of a light wave
3 Ways That Light Moves
1. Reflection
2. Absorption
3. Refraction
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Reflection
Reflection
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Mirror
Reflection
What will you see in the
mirror?
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L T R
L T R
The light stays in a regular, ordered
pattern.
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What happens if it is a rough
surface?
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Rough Surface
What will you see in the rough surface?
Nothing that looks like an
image!
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Absorption
Absorption is
when light
gets soaked
up by
something in
the
environment.
A flashlight beam gets dimmer because the light
gets absorbed by air particles.
Absorb
means to
soak up!
A sponge
ABSORBS
water.
A medium is what a wave moves
through.
• Ocean waves travel through
water
• Light waves can travel through
empty space.
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A light wave always travels in
straight lines when it is moving
through one medium.
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Refraction
Refraction is
the bending of
light as it
moves from
one medium to
another.
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A man sees a fish below
the surface of the water
in a pond and attempts
to throw a spear
directly at the fish. Will
he succeed in catching
the fish?
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Why Does Refraction Happen?
When light rays move between
two mediums, the speed of
light changes.
• The change in the speed
causes the light rays to
bend.
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Prisms
A prism can be used to separate white light into the
visible spectrum.
ROY G. BIV ( ~ 650 nm to 400 nm)
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A Prism Spectrometer
A prism spectrometer
Used to study
wavelengths emitted
by a light source
Elements may be
identified by
comparing with
known elements.
Ultra-violet
The main source of ultra-violet radiation is sunlight and it is this
radiation which gives rise to suntan and also sunburn.
Ultra-violet radiation is used in hospitals to sterilize the surgical
instruments and operating theatres as it kills bacteria and viruses.
UV can be detected by:
a) Photographic plates
b) Photoelectric cell
c) Fluorescence
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Johann Wilhelm Ritter
(1776 - 1810)
Image credit:
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_cla
ssroom/classroom_activities/ritter_bio.html
In chemistry at that time there was a rumour that blue light
was more efficient at initiating chemical change than red
light. Ritter tried to measure the speed at which silver
chloride broke down with different colours. He proved that
blue light was indeed more efficient that red light. He was
amazed, however, that the most vigorous reactions took
place in the region beyond the violet where nothing could be
seen.
This new radiation was originally called Chemical Rays but is
now called Ultra Violet (beyond the violet). Ultra Violet
Image Credit:
differs from visible light only in its wavelength which is
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.ht shorter. [http://www.krysstal.com/spectrum.html]
ml
Ultra-violet
Shorter wavelength and higher frequency than visible
light
Carry more energy than visible light
Used to kill bacteria. (Sterilization of equipment)
Causes your skin to produce vitamin D (good for teeth
and bones)
Causes Sun burn
Some animals can see in UV (bees)
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
X-rays
*Shorter wavelength and higher frequency
than UV-rays
*Carry a great amount of energy
*Can penetrate most matter.
Bones and teeth absorb x-rays. (The light
part of an x-ray image indicates a place
where the x-ray was absorbed)
Too much exposure can cause cancer
(lead vest at dentist protects organs from
unnecessary exposure)
Used by engineers to check for tiny cracks
in structures.
The rays pass through the cracks and the
cracks appear dark on film.
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Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen
(1845 - 1923)
Image credit:
http://www.two-views.com/article_Rontgen.html
On the night of 5 November 1895, he noticed a glow
coming from a chemical called barium platinocyanide.
This chemical glowed whenever the tube was on, even
if he put cardboard between it and the tube.
Roentgen went on to show that the glow was caused
by a highly penetrating but invisible radiation given off
by the tube. It passed through paper, thin sheets of
metal, flesh. It could ionise gases and had wave
properties like light but only much shorter
wavelengths.
The new radiation was called X-Rays because of their
mysterious properties. Roentgen refused to patent the
Image Credit: discovery or make any financial gain out of it but he
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.
html was awarded the first ever Nobel Prize for Physics.
[http://www.krysstal.com/spectrum.html]
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
How color-blind people see the
world…
How animals see the world…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCQE1U2EQ_4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ss-nmT7oAA
Gamma rays
Gamma rays have the shortest
wavelengths and highest
frequencies in the EM spectrum.
It is generated by :
Changes in energy levels in the nucleus
Some radioactive substances and certain
nuclear reactions produce gamma rays.
Because of their great penetrating ability,
gamma rays can cause serious illness.
However when used in controlled
conditions, gamma rays is useful in cancer
treatment.
Paul Ulrich Villard
(1860 - 1934)
Image credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ulrich_Villard
Villard discovered gamma radiation in 1900, while
studying radiation emitted from radium. Villard knew that
his described radiation was more powerful than
previously described types of rays from radium, which
included beta rays, first noted as "radioactivity" by Henri
Becquerel in 1896, and alpha rays, discovered as a less
penetrating form of radiation by Rutherford, in 1899.
However, Villard did not consider naming them as a
different fundamental type. Villard's radiation was
recognized as being of a type fundamentally different
from previously named rays, by Ernest Rutherford, who in
1903 named Villard's rays "gamma rays" by analogy with
Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.htm
the beta and alpha rays that Rutherford had differentiated
l in 1899.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_ray]
Gamma rays
They are produced by the
hottest and most energetic
objects in the universe, such
as neutron stars and pulsars,
supernova explosions, and
regions around black holes.
On Earth, gamma waves are
generated by nuclear
explosions, lightning, and the
less dramatic activity of
radioactive decay.
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
Overview of EM waves
Waves
Longitudinal Waves Transverse Waves
Sound waves
Electromagnetic Waves
Classified into
Properties
Comprises of
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Radiowave Infra-Red Ultra-Violet Gamma ray
Microwave Light X-ray
Applications
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Congratulations!
You’ve completed the
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES lesson
See you again in Physics Class!
Emma- Sensei Revilla, LPT. 2022
