Electromagnetic Spectrum: Miraflor B. Tabanao

ELECTROMAGNETIC
SPECTRUM
MIRAFLOR B. TABANAO
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
An electromagnetic wave, like

any periodic wave, has a
frequency f and a wavelength
that are related to the speed of
the wave by
For electromagnetic waves

traveling through a vacuum or,
to a good approximation,
through air, the speed is .
Electromagnetic waves exist with an

enormous range of frequencies, from
the values less than 10 Hz to greater
4
than 10 Hz.
24
Since all these waves travel through a

vacuum at the speed of c = 3.0 x 10 8
m/s, the equation can be used to find

the correspondingly wide range of
wavelengths that the picture also
displays .
The ordered series of

electromagnetic
frequencies or
wavelengths is called the
electromagnetic spectrum.
Historically, regions of
the spectrum have been
given names such as radio
waves and infrared waves.
Although the boundary

between adjacent regions is
shown as a sharp line in the
picture, the boundary is not so
well defined in practice and the
region often overlap.
On the right, we find radio waves.

Lower frequency radio waves are
generally produced by electrical
oscillator circuits
while higher frequency radio

waves (called microwaves) are
usually generated using electron
tube called klystrons.
A Klystron is a specialized
linear-beam vacuum tube,
invented in 1937 by American
electrical engineers Russell
and Sigurd Varian, which is
used as an amplifier for high
radio frequencies, from UHF
up into the microwave range.
Infrared radiation,
sometimes loosely called heat
waves, originates with the
vibration and rotation of
molecules within a material.
Visible light is emitted by hot

objects, such as the sun, a burning log
or the filament of an incandescent
bulb when the temperature is high
enough to excite the electrons within
the atom.
Ultraviolet frequencies
can be produced from the
discharge from an electric
arc.
An electric arc is
an electrical
breakdown of a gas
that produces a
prolonged electrical
discharge.
The current through a

normally nonconductive
medium such as air
produces a plasma, which
may produce visible light.
An arc discharge is
initiated either by
thermionic emission or by
field emission.
X-rays are produced

by a sudden
deceleration of high
speed electrons.
Gamma rays are

radiation from
nuclear decay.
The human body, like any

object radiates infrared
radiation and the amount
emitted depends on the
temperature of the body.
Although infrared
radiation cannot be seen
by the human eye, it can
be detected by sensors.
An ear
thermometer, like
the pyroelectric
thermometer,
determines the
body’s temperature
by measuring the
amount of infrared that
emanates from the
eardrum and surrounding
tissue.
The ear is one of the best

places to measure body
temperature because it is
close to the hypothalamus,
an area of at the bottom

of the brain that controls
the body temperature.
The ear is not also

cooled or warmed by
eating, drinking or
breathing.
When the probe of the

thermometer is inserted into the
ear canal, infrared radiation
travels down the barrel of the
probe and strikes the sensor.
The absorption of
infrared radiation warms
the sensor and as a result,
its electrical conductivity
changes.
The change in
electrical conductivity is
measured by an electric
circuit.
The output from the circuit

is sent to a microprossesor
which calculates the body
temperature and displays the
result on a digital readout.
Of all the frequency ranges

in the electromagnetic
spectrum, the most familiar is
that of visible light, although
it is the most narrow.
Only waves with

frequencies between about
4.0 x 10 Hz and 7.9 x 10 Hz
4 14
are perceived by the human

eye as visible light.
The wavelengths of visible

light are extremely small and,
therefore, are normally
expressed in nanometers
(nm): 1 nm= 10 m.
-9
An obsolete (non-SI) unit

occasionally used for
wavelengths is the
angstrom(Å): 1Å = 10 m.
-10
Example 1 The Wavelength of Visible light
Find the range in wavelength (in

vacuum) for visible light in the
frequency range between 4.0 x 10 4
Hz (red light) and 7.9 x 10 Hz

14
(violet light). Express the answers

in nanometers.
The eye/brain recognizes light of

different colors. A wavelength of 750
nm (in vacuum) is approximately the
longest wavelength of red light,
whereas 180 nm (in vacuum) is
approximately the shortest wavelength
of violet light.
Example 2 The Diffraction of AM and FM Waves
Diffraction is the
ability of a wave to
bend around an
obstacle or the edges
of an opening.
Example 2 The Diffraction of AM and FM Waves
Based on the definition, would

you expect AM or FM radio
waves to bend more readily
around an obstacle such as a
building?Explain your answer.
ANSWER:
Sound waves exhibit
diffraction to a greater extent
when the wavelength is
longer than when it is shorter.
ANSWER:
Based on this information, we
expect that longer- wavelength
electromagnetic waves will bend
more readily around obstacles
than shorter-wavelength waves.
ANSWER:
AM radio waves have considerably
longer wavelengths than FM waves.
Therefore, AM waves have a greater
ability to bend around buildings
than FM waves.
ANSWER:
The inability of FM waves to diffract
around obstacles is a major reason
why FM stations broadcast their
signals essentially in a “line –of-
sight” fashion.

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ELECTROMAGNETIC

An electromagnetic wave, like

For electromagnetic waves

Electromagnetic waves exist with an

Since all these waves travel through a

m/s, the equation can be used to find

The ordered series of

Although the boundary

On the right, we find radio waves.

while higher frequency radio

Visible light is emitted by hot

The current through a

X-rays are produced

Gamma rays are

The human body, like any

The ear is one of the best

an area of at the bottom

The ear is not also

When the probe of the

The output from the circuit

Of all the frequency ranges

Only waves with

are perceived by the human

The wavelengths of visible

An obsolete (non-SI) unit

Example 1 The Wavelength of Visible light

Find the range in wavelength (in

Hz (red light) and 7.9 x 10 Hz

(violet light). Express the answers

The eye/brain recognizes light of

Example 2 The Diffraction of AM and FM Waves

Example 2 The Diffraction of AM and FM Waves

Based on the definition, would

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