Electro Magnetic Radiation

Champ
 Types

• Radio Waves
• Micro Waves
Increasing Wavelength Increasing Frequency
• Infra-red
• Visible Light
• Ultra Violet
• X-rays
• Gamma Rays

*An easy way to remember is: Raging Martians Invaded Venus Using X-ray Guns
 Radio Waves
• Wavelength: 103
• Transmitted by: radio broadcasts, TV broadcasts, and even
cell phones.
• have the lowest energy levels.
• Used in:
o Remote sensing: where hydrogen gas in space releases
radio energy with a low frequency and is collected as radio
waves.
o Radar systems:where they release radio energy and collect
the bounced energy back.
o In weather, radar systems are used to can illustrate maps of
the surface of the Earth and predict weather patterns since
radio energy easily breaks through the atmosphere.
 Micro Waves
• Wavelength: 10-2
• Uses:
o To broadcast information through space, as well as
warm food.
o Remote sensing in which microwaves are released and
bounced back to collect information on their
reflections.
• Microwaves can be measured in centimeters. They are
good for transmitting information because the energy
can go through substances such as clouds and light
rain. Short microwaves are sometimes used in Doppler
radars to predict weather forecasts
 Infra-Red
• Wavelength: 10-5
• Can be released as heat or thermal energy. It
can also be bounced back, which is called near
infrared because of its similarities with visible
light energy.
• Infrared Radiation is most commonly used in
remote sensing as infrared sensors collect
thermal energy, providing us with weather
conditions.
 Visible Light
• Wavelength: 0.5 x 10-6 Color Region Wavelength (nm)
• It is the only part of the
electromagnetic spectrum that Violet 380-435
humans can see with an unaided
eye. Blue 435-500
• This part of the spectrum includes a
range of different colors that all Cyan 500-520
represent a particular wavelength.
• Rainbows are formed in this way; Green 520-565
light passes through matter in which
it is absorbed or reflected based on Yellow 565-590
its wavelength. Thus, some colors
are reflected more than other, Orange 590-625
leading to the creation of a rainbow.
Red 625-740
 Ultra Violet
• Wavelength: 10-8
• Uses:
o security marking fluorescent lamps
o detecting forged bank notes
o disinfecting water
 X-rays
• Wavelength: 10-10
• Uses:
o observing the internal structure of objects in
airport security scanners
o medical X-rays
 Gamma Rays
• Wavelength: 10-12
• Uses:
o sterilising food and medical equipment
o detection of cancer and its treatment