After completing this lesson, you will be able to explain what electromagnetic waves are and provide

some applications of each type of electromagnetic wave. To see just how much you have learned,
take the short quiz at the end of the lesson!

What Are Electromagnetic Waves?

Electromagnetic waves are waves that can travel through a vacuum, like in space. This is possible
because they're not vibrations in an actual material; they're fluctuations in electric and magnetic
fields. Examples of electromagnetic waves include radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light,
ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays. Radio waves have the lowest energy and frequency and the
longest wavelength. Gamma rays have the highest energy and frequency and the shortest
wavelength.

All electromagnetic waves move at the speed of light, including light itself. In fact, physicists often
use the word 'light' to refer to any kind of electromagnetic wave—even ones we can't see with our
eyes.

Applications of Electromagnetic Waves

Every part of the electromagnetic spectrum has multiple applications in our everyday lives, and
many of those applications involve technology.
Radio waves are used for communications - that's why the thing in your car is called a radio. But
they're not just for FM and AM radio. They're also used to broadcast television signals, and they're
how mobile phones work - your voice is sent through radio signals. Radio waves are also used
for radar, which is why both words start with the same three letters. Radar is extremely important in
military operations and can also be used in speed cameras and speed guns.
Microwaves have probably the most obvious application: in a microwave. Microwaves can be used
to heat and cook your food. Since microwaves aren't that different from radio waves, they've also
been used for communications, especially for extending TV signals to larger distances.
Infrared waves are what comes out of remote controls. Infrared is also a type of wave that transmits
a lot of heat. When you put your hand near to, but not touching, something and it feels warm, it's
because of infrared waves coming out of it. All hot objects produce infrared. In fact, you're producing
infrared waves right now. Infrared waves can also be used to create heat-sensitive and night-vision
cameras.
APPLICATIONS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVES
by justscience 25 May,2017

The electromagnetic waves (EM waves) are transverse in nature. The changes in the
electric field or the magnetic field represent the wave disturbance in the EM waves. EM
waves are the waves which have the ability to travel through the vacuum of the outer space.

They are created due to the vibration of an electrical charge.

The electromagnetic waves (EM waves) are transverse in nature. The changes in the
electric field or the magnetic field represent the wave disturbance in the EM waves. EM
waves are the waves which have the ability to travel through the vacuum of the outer space.
They are created due to the vibration of an electrical charge.

These are the waves that get propagated due to the simultaneous variations of the electric
and magnetic field intensity. These include radio waves, visible light, infrared, ultraviolet, X-
rays, gamma rays.

They move at a very constant speed of 3×108 m/s. They are also known as electromagnetic
light, EM radiation or photons.

USES FOR EM WAVES

 They are used to transmit short or long or FM wavelength radio waves.

 They are used to transmit TV or telephone or wireless signals and energies.
 They are responsible for the transmission of energy in the forms of microwaves, visible light,
infrared radiation, ultraviolet light, gamma rays and also X-rays.

APPLICATIONS FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

 EM waves accomplish the transmission of energy through a vacuum or using no medium.

 Since electromagnetic waves transmit energy, it plays an important role in our daily lives
including the communication technology.
 Electromagnetic radiation is the foundation for working of radar which in turn is used for
guiding and remote sensing the study of our planet Earth.
 Ultraviolet rays are germicidal in nature and destroy bacteria, viruses and moulds from
various surfaces, air or water.
 UV rays are also used to detect the forged bank notes. Real bank notes don’t turn
fluorescent under the UV light.
 UV rays have also sanitary and therapeutic properties.
 X-rays detect the bone breaks by passing through the flesh and capturing the image.
 Gamma rays can cause and also treat cancers. High doses of gamma rays kill the normal
cells causing cancer while proper amount can kill mutated cells.
 Infrared radiation is used for night vision and comes handy for security cameras.
 Infrared radiation is visible at all times thus is used by officials to capture enemy.

PROPERTIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

 The EM energy is clean. We are not degrading the environment or destroying it to derive the
raw material.
 It is also renewable.
 It is versatile in nature.
 The frequency, wavelength and the speed of light follow a relationship of:

Wavelength* frequency= speed of light

The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum encompasses all wave frequencies, including
radio, visible light and X-rays. All EM waves are made up of photons that travel
through space until they interact with matter; some waves are absorbed and others
are reflected. Though the sciences generally classify EM waves into seven basic
types, all are manifestations of the same phenomenon.

Radio Waves: Instant Communication•••

Radio waves are the lowest-frequency waves in the EM spectrum. Radio waves can
be used to carry other signals to receivers that subsequently translate these signals
into usable information. Many objects, both natural and man-made, emit radio waves.
Anything that emits heat emits radiation across the entire spectrum, but in different
amounts. Stars, planets and other cosmic bodies emit radio waves. Radio and
television stations and cellphone companies all produce radio waves that carry signals
to be received by the antennae in your television, radio or cellphone.

Microwaves: Data and Heat•••

Microwaves are the second-lowest frequency waves in the EM spectrum. Whereas
radio waves can be up to miles in length, microwaves measure from a few centimeters
up to a foot. Due to their higher frequency, microwaves can penetrate obstacles that
interfere with radio waves such as clouds, smoke and rain. Microwaves carry radar,
landline phone calls and computer data transmissions as well as cook your dinner.
Microwave remnants of the "Big Bang" radiate from all directions throughout the
universe.00:101:3

Infrared Waves: Invisible Heat•••

Infrared waves are in the lower-middle range of frequencies in the EM spectrum,
between microwaves and visible light. The size of infrared waves ranges from a few
millimeters down to microscopic lengths. The longer-wavelength infrared waves
produce heat and include radiation emitted by fire, the sun and other heat-producing
objects; shorter-wavelength infrared rays do not produce much heat and are used in
remote controls and imaging technologies.

Visible Light Rays•••

Visible light waves let you see the world around you. The different frequencies of
visible light are experienced by people as the colors of the rainbow. The frequencies
move from the lower wavelengths, detected as reds, up to the higher visible
wavelengths, detected as violet hues. The most noticeable natural source of visible
light is, of course, the sun. Objects are perceived as different colors based on which
wavelengths of light an object absorbs and which it reflects.
 Ultraviolet Waves: Energetic Light•••
Ultraviolet waves have even shorter wavelengths than visible light. UV waves are the
cause of sunburn and can cause cancer in living organisms. High-temperature
processes emit UV rays; these can be detected throughout the universe from every
star in the sky. Detecting UV waves assists astronomers, for example, in learning
about the structure of galaxies.

X-rays: Penetrating Radiation•••

X-rays are extremely high-energy waves with wavelengths between 0.03 and 3
nanometers -- not much longer than an atom. X-rays are emitted by sources producing
very high temperatures like the sun's corona, which is much hotter than the surface of
the sun. Natural sources of x-rays include enormously energetic cosmic phenomena
such as pulsars, supernovae and black holes. X-rays are commonly used in imaging
technology to view bone structures within the body.

Gamma Rays: Nuclear Energy•••

Gamma waves are the highest-frequency EM waves, and are emitted by only the most
energetic cosmic objects such pulsars, neutron stars, supernova and black holes.
Terrestrial sources include lightning, nuclear explosions and radioactive decay.
Gamma wave wavelengths are measured on the subatomic level and can actually
pass through the empty space within an atom. Gamma rays can destroy living cells;
fortunately, the Earth's atmosphere absorbs any gamma rays that reach the planet.

Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is a form of energy that is all around us and takes many
forms, such as radio waves, microwaves, X-rays and gamma rays. Sunlight is also a
form of EM energy, but visible light is only a small portion of the EM spectrum, which
contains a broad range of electromagnetic wavelengths.

Electromagnetic theory
Electricity and magnetism were once thought to be separate forces. However, in 1873,
Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell developed a unified theory of electromagnetism.
The study of electromagnetism deals with how electrically charged particles interact with
each other and with magnetic fields.

There are four main electromagnetic interactions:

 The force of attraction or repulsion between electric charges is inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between them.
 Magnetic poles come in pairs that attract and repel each other, much as electric charges do.
 An electric current in a wire produces a magnetic field whose direction depends on the direction
of the current.
 A moving electric field produces a magnetic field, and vice versa.
Maxwell also developed a set of formulas, called Maxwell's equations, to describe these
phenomena.video p

Waves and fields

EM radiation is created when an atomic particle, such as an electron, is accelerated by
an electric field, causing it to move. The movement produces oscillating electric and
magnetic fields, which travel at right angles to each other in a bundle of light energy
called a photon. Photons travel in harmonic waves at the fastest speed possible in the
universe: 186,282 miles per second (299,792,458 meters per second) in a vacuum, also
known as the speed of light. The waves have certain characteristics, given as
frequency, wavelength or energy.

Electromagnetic waves are formed when an electric field (shown in red arrows) couples with a magnetic field
(shown in blue arrows). Magnetic and electric fields of an electromagnetic wave are perpendicular to each other and
to the direction of the wave.
A wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks of a wave. This distance
is given in meters (m) or fractions thereof. Frequency is the number of waves that form
in a given length of time. It is usually measured as the number of wave cycles per
second, or hertz (Hz). A short wavelength means that the frequency will be higher
because one cycle can pass in a shorter amount of time, according to the University of
Wisconsin. Similarly, a longer wavelength has a lower frequency because each cycle
takes longer to complete.
Radio waves
Radio waves are at the lowest range of the EM spectrum, with frequencies of up to
about 30 billion hertz, or 30 gigahertz (GHz), and wavelengths greater than about 10
millimeters (0.4 inches). Radio is used primarily for communications including voice,
data and entertainment media.

Microwaves
Microwaves fall in the range of the EM spectrum between radio and IR. They have
frequencies from about 3 GHz up to about 30 trillion hertz, or 30 terahertz (THz), and
wavelengths of about 10 mm (0.4 inches) to 100 micrometers (μm), or 0.004 inches.
Microwaves are used for high-bandwidth communications, radar and as a heat source
for microwave ovens and industrial applications.

Infrared
Infrared is in the range of the EM spectrum between microwaves and visible light. IR
has frequencies from about 30 THz up to about 400 THz and wavelengths of about 100
μm (0.004 inches) to 740 nanometers (nm), or 0.00003 inches. IR light is invisible to
human eyes, but we can feel it as heat if the intensity is sufficient.
Visible light
Visible light is found in the middle of the EM spectrum, between IR and UV. It has
frequencies of about 400 THz to 800 THz and wavelengths of about 740 nm (0.00003
inches) to 380 nm (.000015 inches). More generally, visible light is defined as the
wavelengths that are visible to most human eyes.

Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is in the range of the EM spectrum between visible light and X-rays. It
has frequencies of about 8 × 1014 to 3 × 1016 Hz and wavelengths of about 380 nm
(.000015 inches) to about 10 nm (0.0000004 inches). UV light is a component of
sunlight; however, it is invisible to the human eye. It has numerous medical and
industrial applications, but it can damage living tissue.
X-rays
X-rays are roughly classified into two types: soft X-rays and hard X-rays. Soft X-rays
comprise the range of the EM spectrum between UV and gamma rays. Soft X-rays have
frequencies of about 3 × 1016 to about 1018 Hz and wavelengths of about 10 nm (4 ×
10−7 inches) to about 100 picometers (pm), or 4 × 10−8 inches. Hard X-rays occupy the
same region of the EM spectrum as gamma rays. The only difference between them is
their source: X-rays are produced by accelerating electrons, while gamma rays are
produced by atomic nuclei.
Gamma-rays
Gamma-rays are in the range of the spectrum above soft X-rays. Gamma-rays have
frequencies greater than about 1018 Hz and wavelengths of less than 100 pm (4 ×
10−9 inches). Gamma radiation causes damage to living tissue, which makes it useful for
killing cancer cells when applied in carefully measured doses to small regions.
Uncontrolled exposure, though, is extremely dangerous to humans.

ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

Electricity can be static, like the energy that can make your hair stand on end.
Magnetism can also be static, as it is in a refrigerator magnet. A changing magnetic field
will induce a changing electric field and vice-versa—the two are linked. These changing
fields form electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic waves differ from mechanical
waves in that they do not require a medium to propagate. This means that
electromagnetic waves can travel not only through air and solid materials, but also
through the vacuum of space.

In the 1860's and 1870's, a Scottish scientist named James Clerk Maxwell developed a
scientific theory to explain electromagnetic waves. He noticed that electrical fields and
magnetic fields can couple together to form electromagnetic waves. He summarized this
relationship between electricity and magnetism into what are now referred to as
"Maxwell's Equations."