FORCE, MOTION AND ENERGY

Quarter 2 – Week 3

EFFECTS OF EM WAVES
The regions in the EM spectrum have various uses and applications as follows:
EM WAVES APPLICATION

Radio waves 1. Radio and 2. television communication

Microwaves 3. Satellite television and 4. communication

Infrared waves 5. Remote control, 6. household 7. electrical appliances

Visible light 8. Artificial lighting, 9. optical fibers in medical uses, 10. screen of electronic
devices

Ultraviolet 11. Sterilization, 12. Fluorescence

X-rays 13. Medical use, 14. engineering applications

Gamma rays 15. Medical treatment

Each type of EM wave poses a certain degree of risk and danger to people and environment.
The very useful EM waves can also negatively affect living things. Prolonged exposure to electromagnetic
waves can cause damaging effect to living organisms.
 16-19 - Radio waves, microwaves, infrared and visible light offers lower risk, thus less harm to the
environment.
 20. Ultraviolet radiation in sunlight produces vitamin D in the skin and gives us tanning effect. But since UV
rays have high energy, it could be harmful to some extent. It could burn the skin and hurt our eyes.
Overexposure to UV radiation may cause skin cancer. Suntan or sunscreen lotions serve as filters to protect
the body from ultraviolet radiation.
 21. X–rays are dangerous because they can damage healthy living cells of the body. This is the reason why
frequent exposure to x–rays should be avoided. Too much exposure to x–rays can damage body tissues and
can cause cancer.
 22. Gamma rays has the highest frequency thus offers the highest risk to the living organisms. These gamma
rays are very strong that they can kill living cells.
 23. High frequency EM waves such as X-rays and gamma rays have ionizing radiation that can cause
negative effect to the body which could lead to development of cancer cells, tumors, damage to intestinal
mucus lining, gene mutations and others.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

ACTIVITY 1. FILL IN THE BLANK
Direction: Fill in the blanks with the correct word/s to complete the sentences below. Write the correct answer
in your answer sheet.
Possible Answer
26. EM waves 24. High–Energy 27. Ionizing Radiation 25. Skin Cancer

24. High frequency EM waves have radiation that could cause negative effect to the
body.
25. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation may cause .
26. The higher the frequency of , the greater the risk it may cau
27. High frequency EM waves such as X-rays and gamma rays have that can cause negative
effect to the body.