3.

2: Waves Lesson 3: Electromagnetic Waves

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks using the words below:

PERPENDICULAR VACUUM OSCILLATIONS REGIONS MEDIUM

Electromagnetic waves are waves that do not need a _________________, they can travel through the
_________________ of space. All EM waves consist of _________________ in the electric and magnetic fields, which are
_______________ to each other. We can divide EM waves into seven _______________, depending on their
frequencies.

Complete the table below, first finding the frequency and wavelength ranges for each of the seven regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum, then listing three uses of each:

FREQUENCY WAVELENGTH
NAME OF REGION THREE DISTINCT USES
RANGES (Hz) RANGES (m)
1,

Radio 2,
3,
1,

Microwave 2,
3,
1,

Infrared 2,
3,
1,

Visible 2,
3,
1,

Ultraviolet 2,
3,
1,

X-Ray 2,
3,
1,

Gamma 2,
3,
3.2: Waves Lesson 3: Electromagnetic Waves

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks using the words below:

PERPENDICULAR VACUUM OSCILLATIONS REGIONS MEDIUM

Electromagnetic waves are waves that do not need a MEDIUM they can travel through the VACUUM of space. All EM
waves consist of OSCILLATIONS in the electric and magnetic fields, which are PERPENDICULAR to each other. We can
divide EM waves into seven REGIONS depending on their frequencies.

Complete the table below, first finding the frequency and wavelength ranges for each of the seven regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum, then listing three uses of each:

FREQUENCY WAVELENGTH
NAME OF REGION THREE DISTINCT USES
RANGES (Hz) RANGES (m)
1, Radios
-3
> 10 2, Long distance communication
Radio < 3 x 1011
> 1mm
3, Radar
1, Microwaves
-3 -5
1 x 10 – 2.5 x 10 2, Observations of the early universe
Microwave 3 x 1011 - 1013
1mm - 25µm
3, Communications
1, Heat transfer
-5 -7
2.5 x 10 – 7.5 x 10 2, Remote Controls
Infrared 1013 – 4 x 1014
25µm – 750nm
3, Optical Fibres
1, Cameras
-7 -7
7.5 x 10 – 4 x 10 2, Laser Disks
Visible 4 x 1014 – 7.5 x 1014
750nm – 400nm
3, To see
1, Sun tanning
-7 -9
4 x 10 – 1 x 10 2, Kill bacteria
Ultraviolet 1015 - 1017
400nm – 1nm
3, Curing inks
1, Seeing internal structures
-9 -12
10 - 10 2, Kill cancer cells
X-Ray 1017 – 1020
1 nm – 1 pm
3, Imaging structural damage in materials
1, PET scans
-12
<10 2, Sterilization
Gamma 1020 - 1024
< 1pm
3, Tracers in medicine
3.2: Waves Lesson 3: Electromagnetic Waves