INSTRUCTIONS

Lecture Style lesson: 27/03/2020

1) Take notes throughout lesson as you please.

1) If there is a , write down the notes and

diagrams on this slides in your workbook (e.g. the
summary slides at the end).

2) If you see a , submit your answer via

Assignments (Google Form) for marking.
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
WHAT IS RADIATION?
Radiation is any emission or transmission of waves or particles
through space, usually dispersed from a central source.
Radiation is usually thought of as harmful, and indeed some forms, like
gamma and x-rays are.
However, by the given definition, all light waves are radiation, as are
sound waves and water waves from a stone thrown into a pond.

Waves radiating
out from a
source
WAVE MOTION
Waves are the movement of energy. They can be observed in
water waves, but are present in sound and light as well.

Click here for

wave
animations
Waves can move in a transverse motion, where particles move
perpendicular to wave direction …
… or longitudinal, where particles move parallel with wave direction.
Waves have a number of parts, those that are important are as
follows:
Ò Frequency is the number of waves produced per second. It is
measured in units Hertz (Hz).
Ò Wavelength is the distance between two successive waves,
measured in metres (m).
Ò Amplitude is the maximum distance a wave extends beyond its
middle position (resting).
VISIBLE LIGHT
Visible Light is made up of all the colours of the rainbow.
White light is a combination of all these colours. It is the tertiary
colour of light. The primary colours are red blue and green (not
yellow), which combine to form secondary colours yellow, magenta
and cyan.
We see in colour because our eyes have special cells called rods
and cones on the back of the eye ball (retina) that can detect it.
Some people and animals, such
as dogs, do not see as vibrant
colours as they do not have as
many cones as we do.
When something appears red, it is because the red cones are
picking up that particular wave pattern that has been reflected off
an object.
An object that appears red does so because it has absorbed all
the other wavelengths of visible light (blue and green) and
reflected red only.
An object appears the colour it is only because it reflects that
colour and absorbs all others.
Red reflects red and absorbs blue and green.
Green reflects green and absorbs red and blue.
Blue reflects blue and absorbs red and green.
As white is a combination of all colours, it means a white object
absorbs nothing and reflects all colours.
By contrast, a black object absorbs all colours and reflects nothing.
This dress recently went viral online. Some people see it as black
and blue, some see it as white and gold.
The actual dress is black and blue, the pic is a good illustration of
how individuals eyes see slightly differently.
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
While sound travels in longitudinal waves, light travels in pulses of
transverse waves.
Light waves propagate with two perpendicular fields; an electrical
field and a magnetic field.
Hence, the term electromagnetic waves.
Click here for
animation of an
electromagnetic
wave
Visible light exists in a spectrum we recognise as a rainbow.
These colours are how our brains interpret light waves of different
wavelengths, with red at the long end and violet at the short end.
But what if these wavelengths were shortened and lengthened at
either end? Would more colours exist? Would we see these
colours?
Visible light is only a minuscule part of a much larger spectrum,
the electromagnetic spectrum.
Slightly shorter than violet is ultra violet (UV), followed by x-rays
and gamma rays. These are harmful to most life.
Slightly longer than red is infrared, followed by microwaves and
radio waves. These are harmless to life.
Fun Fact:
Pictures taken from a UV detecting camera can illustrate the
unseen harm this radiation from the Sun can do to our skin, and
how sunscreen protects our skin.
Our eyes are only able to detect and interpret the visible spectrum
(hence the name), however there are thousands of other colours.
Some animals are able to see in the UV or the infrared spectrum.
Bees can see the colour ultra-violet. They use patterns on flowers
only visible with UV detection to identify their food source.
Fun Fact:
Many cameras can pick up UV from the Sun which comes up
in pictures. It can also pick up UV colouration from remote
controls.
OTHER TYPES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC
RADIATION (EMR)

Focus on:
a) Frequency
b) Wavelength
c) Uses
HOW DO I REMEMBER THE 7 WAVES?

Rabbits = Radio waves

Mate = Microwaves
In = Infrared
Very = Visible Light
Unusual = Ultraviolet Light
eXpensive = X-rays
Gardens = Gamma Rays
SUMMARY: ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
SUMMARY NOTES

Q1. The electromagnetic spectrum is a continuum of all

electromagnetic waves arranged according to
f___________ (waves per second in Hz) and
w____________ (metres).
Q2. In order of longest wavelength to shortest wavelength,
the SEVEN waves are:
__________________________________________.
Q3. A clever way of remembering this order of longest to
shortest wavelength is Rabbits Mate _______________
_______________________________________________
Q4. ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
SUMMARY TABLE
Upload a picture of your workbook via ‘Assignments’ on Google Classroom
Name of Frequency Wavelength Uses Additional
Radiation (Hz) (m) notes
R

G
Q5. MNEMONIC (RMIVUXG)

Come up with your own clever mnemonic to

remember the 7 types of waves. Submit your
original answer via Google Classroom.
KEY TERMS
Ò Radiation Ò Electromagnetic Radiation
Ò Waves Ò Radio Waves
Ò Energy Ò Microwaves
Ò Transverse Ò Infrared
Ò Longitudinal Ò Visible Light
Ò Frequency Ò Ultra Violet
Ò Wavelength Ò X-Rays
Ò Amplitude Ò Gamma Rays
Ò Rods
Ò Cones
Ò Retina The End