8

ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

8.0 AN ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

Electromagnetic waves are formed when an electric field (shown red as arrows) couples with a magnetic
field (shown as blue arrows) as in Figure 8.1. The magnetic and electric fields of an electromagnetic wave
are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of the wave.

Figure 8.1
Electromagnetic waves are generated by accelerating charges. One of the most common ways of doing
this is by connecting an antenna to an AC circuit. The charges accelerating back-an-forth in the antenna
produce electromagnetic waves that travel away from the antenna at the speed of light.

Electromagnetic waves are waves which are capable of traveling through a vacuum. Electromagnetic
waves are produced by a vibrating electric charge and as such, they consist of both an electric and a
magnetic component. Electromagnetic waves can travel through vacuum, i.e., they do not require a
medium for transmission. Electromagnetic waves are two dimensional transverse waves, i.e., the transfer
of energy is perpendicular to the oscillations.

There is an entire spectrum of electromagnetic waves which include waves with low as well as higher
frequencies. High frequency electromagnetic waves are known as electromagnetic radiations, whereas
those with low frequency are called as electromagnetic fields.

8.1 THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

Electromagnetic waves exist with an enormous range of frequencies. This continuous range of
frequencies is known as the electromagnetic spectrum (Figure 8.2).

Figure 8.2 The range of electromagnetic waves

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In Figure 8.2 above shows the electromagnetic spectrum and its various regions. The longer wavelength,
lower frequency regions are located on the far left of the spectrum and the shorter wavelength, higher
frequency regions are on the far right. Two very narrow regions with the spectrum are the visible light
region and the X-ray region.

Since this narrow band of wavelengths is the means by which humans see, we refer to it as the visible
light spectrum, a small spectrum of the range of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. This visible
light region consists of a spectrum of wavelengths, which range from approximately 700 nanometers
(abbreviated nm) to approximately 400 nm; that would be 7 x 10-7 m to 4 x 10-7 m, and known as
ROYGBIV.

Figure 8.3 Visible light spectrum

Each individual wavelength within the spectrum of visible light wavelengths is representative of a
particular color. That is, when light of that particular wavelength produces the colors red (R), orange (O),
yellow (Y), green (G), blue (B), indigo (I), and violet (V).

The color of the objects which we see is largely due to the way those objects interact with light and
ultimately reflect or transmit it to our eyes. When visible light strikes an object and a specific frequency
becomes absorbed, and other frequency becomes reflected or transmitted to our eyes will contribute to the
color appearance of that object. So the color is not in the object itself, but in the light which strikes the
object.

Table 1 Classification of EM waves

Types of radiation Source Frequency range Application

Radio Electronic 105 - 1010 Radio and
oscillators television
communication
system
Micro Magnetron tube 109 - 1011 Radar system, oven
Infrared Hot object 1010 - 1014 Physical therapy,
photograph
Visible light Incandescent object 1015 Lighting system
UV Electric arc 10 - 1018
16
Food processing,
photolithograph
X-ray X-ray tube 10-16 - 1018 Medical treatment,

Atomic structure
Gamma Nuclear radiation 1018- 1020 Medical treatment

The wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation is relates to its frequency by the general equation

c= fλ

Where c = 3 x 108 m/s

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