WAVES OF CHANGE:

ELECTRO MAGNETIC
WAVES
Lesson Objectives:
Trace the development of electromagnetic wave theory.
Define electromagnetic waves.
Describe the transmission and propagation of electromagnetic waves.
Discuss the properties of EM waves.
Solve problems involving wavelength, frequency, and energy of an EM
waves.
Compare the relative wavelengths, frequencies, and energies of the different
regions of EM waves.
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE
THEORY
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE
THEORY
• Hans Christian Ørsted often rendered Oersted in
English; 14 August 1777 – 9 March 1851) was a
Danish physicist and chemist who discovered
that electric currents create magnetic fields,
which was the first connection found between
electricity and magnetism. During an evening
lecture in April 1820, Ørsted discovered that a
magnetic needle aligns itself perpendicularly to a
current-carrying wire, definite experimental
evidence of the relationship
between electricity and magnetism.
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE
THEORY
Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (June
14, 1736, August 23, 1806), French
physicist best known for the
formulation of Coulomb’s law, which
states that the electric force between
charged objects inversely depends
upon the distance between the
objects.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVE THEORY
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (30 April 1777 – 23
February 1855) was a German mathematician
and physicist. He was also a pioneer in the
study of magnetism and electricity. For an
extensive survey of terrestrial magnetism, he
invented an early type of magnetometer, a
device that measures the direction and
strength of a magnetic field. Gauss also
developed a consistent system of magnetic
units
Michael Faraday (September 22, 1791-
August 25, 1867), English physicist and chemist
whose many experiments contributed greatly to
the understanding of electromagnetism. He
was the first to produce an electric current from
a magnetic field, invented the first electric
motor and dynamo, demonstrated the relation
between electricity and chemical bonding,
discovered the effect of magnetism on light,
and discovered and named diamagnetism, the
peculiar behaviour of certain substances in
strong magnetic fields.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE
THEORY

In 1862 , James Clerk Maxwell

, a Scottish physicist predicted
the existence of
electromagnetic waves. He
noticed that electrical fields and
magnetic fields can couple
together to form
electromagnetic waves.
In 1887 , Heinrich Hertz, a
German physicist, applied
Maxwell's theories to the
production and reception of
radio waves. The unit of
frequency of a radio wave --
one cycle per second -- is
named the hertz, in honor of
Heinrich Hertz.
Electromagnetic waves
What is an electromagnetic wave?
Electromagnetic waves are electric and magnetic fields
traveling through empty space with the speed of light.
Electromagnetic waves are produced by accelerating
charges.
Propagation of Electromagnetic
Wave
Accelerating charges produce
changing electric and magnetic
fields. Changing electric fields
produce magnetic fields and
changing magnetic fields produce
electric fields. This interplay
between induced electric and
magnetic fields leads to
propagating electromagnetic
waves. Electromagnetic waves
can propagate through free
space.
The propagation of electromagnetic waves depend on
the properties of the waves and the environment.
• Electromagnetic waves follow the basic wave equation
that relates speed of propagation (v) , frequency (f)
and wavelength (Λ ).

• In a vacuum or air, all electromagnetic waves travel at a

common speed equal to 3 x 108 m/s. This speed is usually
represented by a small letter c.
 The smallest (quantum) unit of
light/electromagnetic
energy.
Photons are generally regarded
as particles with
zero mass and no electric charge.

Electromagnetic radiation can be described as a

stream of photons, each traveling in a wave-like
pattern, carrying energy and moving at the speed of
light. Radio waves have photons with the lowest
energies. Microwaves have a little more energy than
radio waves. Infrared has still more, followed by
visible, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays.
The amount of energy a photon has can cause it to
behave more like a wave, or more like a particle. This
is called the "wave-particle duality" of light”. Low
energy photons (such as radio photons) behave more
like waves, while higher energy photons (such as X-
rays) behave more like particles.
EM waves are transverse waves
Characteristics of Waves

Amplitude (A) - which is

the height of a wave and
usually measured in meters
(m)

The greater the amplitude (A) of a wave the more

energy it carries
Characteristics of Waves

crest λ crest
Wavelength (λ) - which is
the distance between two
consecutive crest or trough
usually measured in meters trough λ trough
Characteristics of Waves

Frequency (f) - which is the number of waves passing a

point in a certain time. We normally use a time of one
second, so this gives frequency the unit hertz (Hz), since one
hertz is equal to one wave per second
Characteristics of Waves

Speed of light (c) – all electromagnetic wave travels at the

same speed which is about 3.00 x 108 m/s through a
vacuum
Wave Equation

24
Example Problem
An EM wave has a wavelength of 4.0 meters in a vacuum space.
What is the frequency of the EM waves
G: λ = 4.0 m S: f = 3.00 x 108 m/s
4.0 m
R: v = 3.00 x 108 m/s
A: f = 75,000,000 Hz
E: v = f λ
= 75 MHz

25
The electromagnetic spectrum can be expressed in
Where:
terms ofλ isenergy, wavelength or frequency. Scientists
the wavelength
represent wavelength
ν is the frequency and frequency by the Greek
letters Elambda (λ) and nu (ν). Using those symbols, the
is the energy
c is the speed of light, c = 3.0x10^8 m/s
relationships between
h is Planck's constant, henergy, wavelength
= 6.63x10^-34 J.s and
frequency
Both can be of
the speed written
light andas wavelength
Planck's equals the
constant are
speed of light divided constantby – they
thenever change in value.
frequency, or
λ=c/ν
and energy equals Planck's constant times the
frequency, or
E=h×ν
 The Regions of the Electromagnetic Spectrum and
their uses
Note: Electromagnetic waves are
classified according to their wavelength
or frequency.
Electromagnetic spectrum is the
continues range of electromagnetic
waves arranged in order of frequency or
wavelength. It is divided into regions on
the basis of a certain frequency or
wavelength interval.
Electromagnetic spectrum

Electromagnetic spectrum arranged in order of decreasing wavelength

What are Radio Waves?

• Radio waves have the longest wavelengths in the

electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from 10−1 m to 104 m.
They range from the length of a football to larger than our
planet or from 30 kHz to 3000 MHz.
• Heinrich Hertz proved the existence of radio waves in the
late 1880s.
Type of Frequency Frequency Range Common Applications

Low frequency 30-300 kHz Long distance communication and

navigation

Medium frequency 300-3000 kHz AM radio broadcasting (AM stands

for amplitude navigation)

High frequency 3-30 MHz Shortwave broadcasting ,tags for

use in building access, public
transportation, and electronic
payment systems.
Very high frequency 30-300 MHz FM radio broadcasting (FM stands
for frequency modulation) ground
to aircraft and aircraft to aircraft
communication
Ultra high frequency 300-3000 MHz Police radio communication ,
military aircraft and television
transmission, modern mobile
phones and global positioning
systems
Other application of Radio waves :

Radar is an acronym for radio detection and ranging.

Use for detection of objects, weather forecasting,
military surveillance , and air traffic control.

Wi-Fi , Bluetooth , GPS and RFID (radio frequency identification) are

other application of radio waves. Medical application of radio waves
Include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for viewing internal parts of the human body
Radio waves
 • Microwaves are a portion or "band" found at the
What are Microwaves? higher frequency end of the radio spectrum, but
they are commonly distinguished from radio
waves because of the technologies used to
access them.
• The microwave region in the EM spectrum lies
somewhere from 300 MHz to 300 GHz , with
wavelength corresponding to 10−3 m to 10−1 m.
• James Clerk Maxwell is credited for discovering
microwaves in 1864.
Microwaves cause water and fat molecules to vibrate, which makes the
substances hot.
So we can use microwaves to cook many types of food.
Mobile phones use microwaves, as they can be generated by a small
antenna, which means that the phone doesn't need to be very big.
Wifi also uses microwaves.
Microwaves are also used by fixed traffic speed cameras, and for radar,
which is used by aircraft, ships and weather forecasters.
The most common type of radar works by sending out bursts of microwaves,
detecting the "echoes" coming back from the objects they hit, and using the
time it takes for the echoes to come back to work out how far away the object
is.
Microwaves

Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZeBzTI5Omk&featur
e=youtu.be
What are Infrared waves? • Infrared literally means “below red”. Infrared radiations (IR)
have a lower frequency than the red part of the visible light.
• Their frequencies range from
3x 10to 4x1014 Hz , with wavelengths ranging from 7.5x
10−7 m to 10−3 m. 11 Hz . In 1800, William Herschel conducted
an experiment measuring the difference in temperature
between the colors in the visible spectrum. He placed
thermometers within each color of the visible spectrum. The
results showed an increase in temperature from blue to red.
When he noticed an even warmer temperature measurement
just beyond the red end of the visible spectrum, Herschel had
discovered infrared light!
Infra-red waves are called "IR" for short.
They are used for many tasks, for example, remote controls for
TVs and video recorders, and physiotherapists use heat lamps
to help heal sports injuries. IR is also used for short-range
communications, for example between mobile phones.
CCD chips are used as pickup devices in digital cameras,
including camcorders and mobile phone cameras.
"Passive Infra-Red" (PIR) detectors are used in burglar alarm
systems, and to control the security lighting that many people
have fitted outside their houses.
Helicopters track criminals at night, using "thermal imaging"
cameras which can see in the dark.
Weather forecasters use satellite pictures to see what's
heading our way. Some of the images they use are taken using
IR cameras, because they show cloud and rain patterns more
clearly.
Infrared waves

Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8caGm9F
mh0&feature=emb_logo
What are Visible light waves?

• The visible light spectrum is the segment of the

electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye
can view. More simply, this range of
wavelengths is called visible light.
• Electromagnetic radiations in the range of 4x
1014 Hz to 8x 1014 with corresponding
wavelengths of 4x 10−7 m to 8x 10−7 m are the
only ones seen by our naked eye.
• The sequence of colors of visible light from
longest to shortest may be remembered by the
acronym ROYGBIV; red , orange , yellow , green,
blue, indigo and violet.
Light waves can also be made using a
laser. This works differently to a light bulb,
and produces "coherent" light.
Lasers are used in Compact Disc & DVD
players, where the light is reflected from
the tiny pits in the disc, and the pattern is
detected and translated into sound or data.

Lasers are also used in laser printers, and

in aircraft weapon aiming systems.
Visible light

Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMtC34pzKGc&featu
re=emb_logo
What is Ultraviolet Light

• Ultraviolet (UV) light has shorter wavelengths than visible

light. Although UV waves are invisible to the human eye,
some insects, such as bumblebees, can see them. This is
similar to how a dog can hear the sound of a whistle just
outside the hearing range of humans.
• The Sun is a source of the full spectrum of ultraviolet
radiation, which is commonly subdivided into UV-A, UV-
B, and UV-C. These are the classifications most often
used in Earth sciences. UV-C rays are the most harmful
and are almost completely absorbed by our atmosphere.
UV-B rays are the harmful rays that cause sunburn.
Exposure to UV-B rays increases the risk of DNA and
other cellular damage in living organisms. Fortunately,
about 95 percent UV-B rays are absorbed by ozone in
the Earth's atmosphere. UV-A is used to treat skin
conditions like psoriasis and vitiligo.
Uses for UV light include getting a sun
tan, detecting forged bank notes in
shops, and hardening some types of dental
filling.

Ultraviolet rays can be used to kill

microbes. Hospitals use UV lamps to
sterilize surgical equipment and the air in
operating theatres.
Food and drug companies also use UV
lamps to sterilize their products.
Suitable doses of Ultraviolet rays cause the
body to produce vitamin D, and this is
used by doctors to treat vitamin D
deficiency and some skin disorders.
Ultraviolet Light

Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW5zeVy8aE0&feat
ure=emb_logo
What are X-rays

• X-rays are sometimes called Roentgen rays, after their

discoverer German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen.
The letter X is normally used to represent an unknown
quantity. Roentgen called the rays that he discovered X-
rays because he did not know their nature or origin.
• X-rays have much higher energy and much shorter
wavelengths than ultraviolet light, and scientists usually
refer to x-rays in terms of their energy rather than their
wavelength. This is partially because x-rays have very
small wavelengths, between 0.03 and 3 nanometers, so
small that some x-rays are no bigger than a single atom
of many elements.
• X-rays are produced by the sun and other stars. They are
also produced when accelerated electrons hit metal and
some medical equipment.
X-rays are used by doctors to see inside people. The
machines are managed by a trained x-ray technician. They
pass easily through soft tissues, but not so easily through
bones.
We send a beam of X-Rays through the patient and onto a
piece of film, which goes dark where X-Rays hit it.
This leaves white patches on the film where the bones were
in the way.
X-Rays are also used in airport security checks, to see
inside your luggage. They are also used by astronomers -
many objects in the universe emit X-rays, which we can
detect using suitable radio telescopes.
Lower energy X-Rays don't pass through tissues as easily,
and can be used to scan soft areas such as the brain.
X-rays
Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCAYcuCWOnM
&feature=emb_logo
What are Gamma Rays
• Gamma rays have the smallest wavelengths and the
most energy of any wave in the electromagnetic
spectrum. They are produced by the hottest and
most energetic objects in the universe, such as
neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions,
and regions around black holes. On Earth, gamma
waves are generated by nuclear explosions,
lightning, and the less dramatic activity of
radioactive decay.
• Gamma rays are given off by radioactive materials
like cobalt-60 and cesium-137.
• Paul Villard , a French chemist and physicist, is
recognized as having discovered gamma rays in
1900.
Because Gamma rays can kill living cells,
they are used to kill cancer cells without
having to resort to difficult surgery.
This is called "Radiotherapy", and works
because healthy cells can repair
themselves fairly well when damaged by
gamma rays - but cancer cells can't.
Getting the dose right is very important!
Gamma rays kill microbes, and are used
to sterilize food so that it will keep fresh for
longer.
This is known as "irradiated" food. this picture is a
"Scintigram", and shows
Gamma rays are also used to sterilize an asthmatic person's
lungs.
medical equipment.
Gamma Rays

Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA5SLDiIU
Ws&feature=emb_logo