ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

 Definition of Electromagnetic waves:

One of the waves that are propagated by simultaneous periodic

variation of electric and magnetic field intensity & that includes
radio waves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet, X-Rays &
gamma rays.

 Features of electromagnetic waves:

1. They can travel through vacuum.

2. They travel through vacuum at a speed if light 3 x 108 m/s.
This is the speed of all electromagnetic waves.
3. They are transverse waves – Their oscillations are at right
angles to the direction of travel.
4. They transfer energy. A source loses energy when it radiates
electromagnetic waves. A material gains energy when it
absorbs them.

 Electromagnetic Spectrum:

In 1799, William Herschel was examining the spectrum of light

from the sun. He took a prism and placed it in the sun light so
that sun light may enter the prism to produce a spectrum due to
dispersion. He then placed the thermometers at different points
in the spectrum. The reading on the thermometer rose because
objects get warm when they absorb light.
Herschel observed an interesting effect the thermometer reading
grew higher as he moved towards the red end of the spectrum.
He further moved the thermometer crossing the red, but there
was nothing, but still the reading was increasing. Herschel than
discovered this (invisible) radiation as infrared radiation.
 Eg: Take a kettle filled with water & start boiling it. After it
boils allow it to cool down. As the kettle cools down, keep your
palm near to the kettle you can feel that your hands are feeling
war. The warmth of the kettle is absorbed by your skin. The
kettle is emitting the infrared radiations. We some time called it
as “heat radiations”.

 Beyond the Violet:

In 1801, a German Scientist called Johan Ritter used silver

chloride to look for the invisible rays. Silver salts are blackened
by exposure to sunlight, so he directed a spectrum of sunlight
onto paper soaked in silver chloride solution.
The paper became blackened and to his surprise, the effect was
strongest beyond the violet end of the visible spectrum. He had
discovered another extension of the spectrum, which is known
as the Ultraviolet Radiation. Although our eyes can not detect
ultraviolet radiation, sensitive photographic film can.
Both infrared and ultraviolet radiations were discovered by
looking at the spectrum of light from the sun. Take a lump of
iron that you heat it on the Bunsen burner flame. At first it looks
dull and black. Take it from the flame and you will find that it is
emitting the infrared radiation. Put it back into the flame & heat
it more. It begins to glow first a dull red colour, then more
yellow, and eventually white hot. It is emitting visible light.
When its temperature reaches about 1000˚ c, it will also be
emitting appreciable amounts of ultraviolet radiation.

The sun is a very hot object. Its surface temperature is about

7000˚ C so it emits a lot of ultraviolet radiation. Most of this is
absorbed by the ozone layer in the atmosphere. A small amount
of the ultraviolet radiation does reaches us. The thinning of the
ozone layer by chemicals released by the human activity. This
increased amount of the exposure is disturbing because it
increases the risk of skin cancer.
 Electromagnetic Spectrum:

Spectrum is formed when light passes through a prism because

some colours are refracted more than others. The violet is
refracted the most. So that means ultraviolet will be refracted
even more than the violet light and infrared radiation is refracted
less than the red light.
A Scottish physicist, James clerk Maxwell eventually showed in
1860, that light was in fact small oscillations in electric &
magnetic fields or electromagnetic waves.
Beyond the infrared and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum
there must be even more types of electromagnetic waves.
By early years of the 20th century, physicists had discovered or
artificially produced several other types of the electromagnetic
wave, to complete the electromagnetic spectrum.
Maxwell also predicted that all the electromagnetic waves travel
at the same speed through empty space, the speed of light (3 x
108 m/s).
 Speed of Electromagnetic Waves:

They travel with the speed of light that is 3 x 108 m/s. All the
electromagnetic waves travel with the same speed. Like light
speed of electromagnetic waves depends on the material through
which they are travelling. They travel fastest through vacuum.

 Wavelength & Frequency:

Let us compare red light and the violet light. Both red and violet
travel with the same speed in the vacuum. Violet has greater
frequency as compared to red light.
 Waves & Uses:

 Radio Waves-

Stars are natural emitters of radio waves. However radio

waves are produced by oscillating current in the
transmitting antenna.

Long & Medium Waves: Diffract around the hill so a radio

can still receive signals even if a hill blocks the direct
route from the transmitting antenna. Long wave will also
diffract round the curved surface of the earth.

VHF & UHF Waves: They have short wavelengths VHF

used for stereo radios & UHF for TV broadcasts. These
waves do not diffract round hills. So, for god reception,
there needs to be a straight path between the transmitting
& receiving antennas.

 Microwaves-

These have shortest wavelengths (highest frequency) of all

the radio waves. They are used by mobile phones, Wi-Fi &
for beaming TV & telephone signals to & from satellites &
across country.

Like all the electromagnetic waves, microwaves produce a

heating effect when absorbed. Water absorbs microwaves
of one frequency. This principle is used in the microwave
ovens, where the waves penetrate deep into food & heat up
the water in it. However, if the body is exposed to
microwaves, they can cause internal heating of body
tissues.
 These used in satellite television broadcasting because
microwaves pass easily through the earth’s atmosphere as
they travel up to a broadcasting satellite, thousands of kms
away in the space. Then they are sent back down to the
subscribers on the earth. Microwaves are also used to
transmit mobile phone signals between masts, which may
be up to 20 km apart.

 Infrared Radiation & Light-

When a radiant heater or grill is switched on, you can

detect the infrared radiation coming from it by the heating
effect it produces on your palm. As the object heats up it
radiates more and more infrared & shorter wavelengths. At
about 700˚C, the shortest wavelengths radiated can be
detected by the eye so the object glows ‘red hot’. Above
about 1000˚C the whole of the visible spectrum is covered
so the object becomes ‘white hot’.

Infrared rays are used in remote controls fo devices such

as TV & video recorders. A bema of radiation from remote
control carries a coded signal to the appliance, which then
changes channel, starts to record or whatever. Security
alarms send out beams of infrared radiation s& detect
change in the reflected radiation – these may indicate the
presence of an intruder.

 Ultraviolet Radiations-

Very hot object such as sun emits ultraviolet radiations. Th

sun’s ultraviolet is harmful to living cells. If it penetrates
too much into the skin it can cause skin cancer. If you have
black or darker skin colour the ultraviolet penetrates less
far. If you are fair the UV can go even more deeper. Skin
 develops a tan which acts as a protective shield against
UV.

UV is harmful for living cells, so it is used for sterilizing

equipment to kill bacteria. Some fluorescent material
absorb the UV rays & starts to glow.

 X- Rays-

It is produced when fast moving electrons give there

energy very quickly. In X-ray tube, beam of electrons hit
the metal target.
Short wavelength X -Rays are more penetrating.
Long Wavelength X- Rays are less penetrating.

X-Rays can pass through flesh but blocked by the bones,

so the bones will show up on an X-Ray photograph. X-
Rays can be used to check the flaws inside metals.
Eg: Pipe joints fault. Airport security system also use them
to detect any weapons hidden in the luggage.

All X-Rays are dangerous because they damage living

cells deep in the body & can cause cancer or mutations
(genetic change). However, concentrated beams of X-Rays
can be used to treat cancer by destroying abnormal cells.

 Gamma Rays:

They come from radioactive materials. They are produced

when a nucleus of unstable atoms break up or lose energy.
They have shorter wavelength than X-Rays. Like X-Rays,
gamma rays can be used in the treatment of the cancer &
for taking X-Rays type photographs. As they kill harmful
bacteria, they are also used for sterilizing food & medical
equipment.
 Electromagnetic Hazards-

All types of the radiations can be hazardous- even bright

light shone into your eyes can make you blind. So people
who work with electromagnetic radiation must be careful
& take appropriate precautions.

1. Microwaves are used to cook food in microwave ovens.

This shows they have a heating effect when absorbed.
Telephone engineers should be careful that they should
not expose them to the microwaves when working on
mobile phone network. Domestic microwave ovens
must be checked to ensure that no radiation is leaking
out.

2. People working with X-Rays must minimize their

exposure. They can do this by standing well away when
a patient is being examined, or by enclosing the
equipment in a metal case, which will absorb X- Rays.