Just because you can’t see something does not mean it isn’t there, hard at work! Many things that we cannot see in our lives play a crucial role in keeping them running smoothly. One of the most intriguing and fundamental aspects of this invisible realm is the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum encompasses a vast range of electromagnetic waves, each with distinct properties and applications that impact our daily lives in ways we might not even be aware of. From the static on the radio we hear to the super-powered gamma rays, the electromagnetic spectrum plays a crucial role in modern technology, communication, medicine, and scientific exploration.
Please visit our website for more information on this topic.
The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is a continuum of energy that includes a wide array of electromagnetic waves, each with a specific wavelength and frequency. Wavelength refers to the distance between successive wave crests, while frequency represents the number of wave cycles that pass a given point in a unit of time. A high frequency paired with a low wavelength means higher energy (such as gamma waves), the opposite is the case for a group with a low frequency and a higher wavelength (such as radio waves) The spectrum is divided into different regions based on these wavelength and frequency characteristics, and each region has unique properties and applications
Radio waves are the longest and weakest type of radiation present on the EM spectrum. Being measured with a distance of ~102 m, there are a lot of applications in the everyday world that would be useless without radio waves!
Microwaves are the next category of radiation on the EM spectrum, with a wavelength of ~10-2 m. Even though they have one universally known use, you’d be surprised at what else they are used in!
Infrared is the next section, just between microwaves and the light we can actually see. Measured with a wavelength of ~10-4 m , infrared has a unique ability to sense heat. Objects, including our own bodies, emit heat in the form of infrared radiation. This property of infrared radiation makes it a valuable tool in various applications.
After infrared, the next section of the EM spectrum is the only ones humans can actually visually interpret! While this may account for all of the vivid colors in our lives, it only covers a fraction of the entire EM spectrum, measured with wavelengths near ~10-7 m. The color red is at the weaker end, whilst violet is considered the strongest of the visible light colors.
Ultraviolet (UV) light is a form of EM radiation that lies just beyond the violet end of the visible light spectrum. With a wavelength of ~10-8 m, UV light has unique properties that make it both beneficial and potentially harmful. It plays a significant role in various real-life applications, contributing to fields ranging from health and technology to scientific research.
X-rays occupy are characterized by their ability to penetrate matter. With wavelengths shorter than UV light (beginning at ~10-10 m), X-rays hold a potent energy that unveils hidden worlds. Their unique capacity to expose what lies beyond ordinary sight beckons us to explore the depths of the unseen, not just at the doctor’s office
With a wavelength similar to the size of some atoms (starting at ~10-12 m), gamma rays are the most powerful form of energy on the EM spectrum. Although they are well-known for either causing superpowers or super tumors, gamma rays play a lot more roles in the medical and industrial worlds than they do in show business!
Electromagnetic energy is used to power the modern world.
Without advanced electromagnetic technology, cell phones and computers, Bluetooth, GPS systems, satellite imagery, and scientific understanding of our planet and space as we know it would not be viable.
As technological applications and appliances continue to advance, mutual reliance on — and greater understanding of — electromagnetic technology is more critical than ever.
Read on to discover more about the electromagnetic world we are living in.
Electromagnetic energy is radiant energy that travels in waves at the speed of light.
It can also be described as radiant energy, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic waves, light, or the movement of radiation.
Electromagnetic radiation can transfer of heat. Electromagnetic waves carry the heat, energy, or light waves through a vacuum or a medium from one point to another. The act of doing this is considered electromagnetic energy.
Electromagnetic radiation was discovered by James Clerk Maxwell, a 19th-century physicist whose findings greatly influenced what would become known as quantum mechanics.
When it comes to how it works, we can think of electromagnetic energy or radiation as working similarly to a regular ocean wave. In this metaphor, the radiation is the water. The electromagnetic waves are the ocean waves, and the electromagnetic energy is produced from the waves carrying water from the middle of the ocean to the shore.
That energy is best exemplified by the power needed to move all of that water across long distances. Actual electromagnetic energy transfer and generation are a little more complex.
Electromagnetic energy consists of changing magnetic and electric fields that transfer electromagnetic energy. Positive charges create electric fields, or a charged space surrounds it that radiates outward. When that charged particle is manipulated — for example, by moving it up and down — you change the electric field.
Magnetic currents also create magnetic fields. Magnetic field changes can occur when the magnetic current is oscillating. Magnetic fields and electric fields influence one another, and as one area fluctuates and moves, so does the other. The magnetic fields travel on a horizontal plane, and electric fields travel vertically, allowing for polarized alignment of electromagnetic fields.
Electric and magnetic propagation, or the travel of waves, are the essential components of electromagnetic waves. A changing magnetic field can cause a changing electric field, which can cause a changing magnetic field, and so on. The result is a chain reaction, and together these fields oscillate perpendicular to one another and create transverse electromagnetic waves.
The waves travel in carriers containing radiation particles called photons, which have no mass and can travel at the speed of light.
Transverse waves, powered by magnetic fields and momentous photons, are what moves waves of electromagnetic energy.
The array of potential frequency and wavelengths that electromagnetic waves can have is called the electromagnetic spectrum.
source
The electromagnetic spectrum is a span of the range of frequencies and wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. Each type of wave and frequency combination creates different forms of energy.
Electromagnetic frequency is equivalent to the number of wave crests that reach a specific point each second. Frequency can also be thought of as each peak of a wave as it rolls and moves. This measurement of frequency, one wave cycle per second, is called a Hertz (Hz).
The Hertz is named after German physicist Heinrich Hertz who experimented with radio waves to prove that the velocity of the waves was equal to the speed of light or radiation. It was a massive discovery for the field of electromagnetic energy.
The speed of a wave is wavelength times frequency. As frequency increases, wavelength decreases, and the more powerful the electromagnetic wave becomes.
Electromagnetic wave energy is measured in electron volts. This unit represents the kinetic energy required to transfer electrons via volt potential. In other words, the energy is measured by how much energy is needed to create more waves or peaks.
The smaller an electromagnetic wave, the more waves there can be, and the more energy there is. A longer wavelength means less energy and, therefore, lower frequency. Think of the electromagnetic spectrum as a straight, horizontal line that you are reading from left to right.
Towards the left end of the spectrum, you have a lower frequency or hertz and a bigger wavelength. At the right end, you have smaller waveforms and higher frequency or hertz.
As you travel from one end of the spectrum to the other, the electromagnetic energy becomes more significant as the frequency becomes more intense.
YuYang Magnetic contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.
Spanning the spectrum are seven types of electromagnetic radiation:
At the start of the electromagnetic spectrum are low-frequency radio waves.
Low-frequency radio waves have the longest wavelengths and the lowest energy on the spectrum, and their size varies from the length of a football field to bigger than planet earth.
Radio waves allow us to listen to the radio via radio frequency as expected but are also used in telescope technology to view space.
Though similar to radio waves in frequency and size, microwaves differ because of the technology needed to access them and the technology they can provide. Various kinds of microwaves are characterized by their wavelength size.
For example, C-band or medium-sized microwaves pass through clouds, snow, rain, dust, smoke, or haze and (allow for) satellite communication, while L-band microwaves are used to operate global positioning systems (GPS).
Microwaves are also what allow TV and cell signals to function, and of course, microwave ovens.
Infrared waves are also known as infrared light or radiation and can be detectable to humans through heat.
The infrared section of the electromagnetic spectrum contains three subsectors: near-infrared, mid-infrared, and far-infrared.
Far infrared is also called thermal infrared, as it is best suited for observing thermal or heat energy. Infrared electromagnetic energy is used to locate and view objects in space, monitor and track Earth’s temperature patterns, view objects or heat energy via thermal imaging, and change the channel on a TV with a remote control.
Traditionally located near the middle of the electromagnetic spectrum is the visible light spectrum. This portion of the spectrum is the one that the human eye can see.
Every type of electromagnetic radiation is considered light, but since this is the only electromagnetic light perceptible by people, it’s called visible light or the visible spectrum.
The visible light spectrum gives us the rainbow — each rainbow color is a different sized wavelength. For example, red has the longest wavelengths, and violet has the shortest wavelengths.
Also known as UV light and ultraviolet radiation, ultraviolet waves are on the higher frequency end of the spectrum because of their smaller wavelengths and greater energy.
Ultraviolet radiation is divided into levels of extremity, including near, middle, far, and extreme UV light. However, ultraviolet light can be dangerous to humans if encountered in excess because of its higher frequency and higher energy.
Ultraviolet light can harm or damage our skin by causing sunburn, breaking apart our cells, and even affecting our DNA. This is why people wear sunscreen — to protect skin from the UV light radiation emitted from the sun.
The second-to-last designation on the electromagnetic spectrum belongs to X-rays. These rays have a very high energy frequency and a much shorter wavelength size — they can be as small as an atom.
Object temperature determines X-ray wavelength, with hotter wavelengths being shorter and vice versa. X-rays are known for their use in medical imaging, which produces shadows of objects on X-ray films after X-ray waves are shot through a person’s body.
X-ray waves are also dangerous when the human body is subjected to too much exposure. This is why patients receiving medical X-rays wear protective gear, and X-ray technicians leave the room during the image capture.
Positioned at the right end of the spectrum, furthest from radio waves, are gamma rays, which have short wavelengths but the highest energy frequency. As a result, gamma waves are the most powerful electromagnetic waves.
Gamma rays are generated by supernova explosions, black holes, nuclear reactions, nuclear decay, and lightning. These ray bursts are so powerful that, according to NASA, they can generate more energy in 10 seconds than the sun will during its entire lifespan.
source
The dangers associated with electromagnetic waves beg the question of whether or not electromagnetic energy is safe.
Electromagnetic radiation depends on the different types of radiation, which change across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
Ionizing radiation is induced by the highest frequencies of electromagnetic energy, including ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma ray waves.
Gamma rays pose ionized radiation threats produced by nuclear reactions and events. In addition, nuclear decay can also present ionized radiation health hazards and is produced by either gamma rays or X-rays. Exposure to ionizing radiation can cause carcinogenic DNA damage, radiation sickness, and even death.
Non-ionizing radiation, however, does not contain enough energy to pose extreme radiation concerns or hazards. It’s the type of radiation that lower frequency waves (such as visible light, microwaves, or radio waves) emit.
Non-ionizing radiation is the kind that humans are typically exposed to when using electromagnetic wave-emitting technology, such as mobile phones, TVs, computers, powerlines, or microwaves.
However, lower frequency radiation will shift toward more concerning levels as global warming continues. Solar light is beamed down on Earth and then sent back up into space through radiation. But greenhouse gases — a type of pollution caused by emissions —can trap this radiation in Earth’s atmosphere, creating the greenhouse gas effect and perpetuating global warming.
As the environmental state of the planet becomes a growing concern, so does our need to understand electromagnetic radiation. Scientists will need to continue their research on radiation and electromagnetic energy while the need for renewable and sustainable power grows.
What’s more, continued technological development of computers, phones, energy-efficient appliances, and renewable energy sources will remain a priority for the ever-growing need for connection and information in an increasingly populated world.
Electromagnetic energy education and use will allow us to continue riding the electromagnetic waves that power our world.
Brought to you by justenergy.com
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Electromagnetic Component Application.