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The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Presentation · January 2007

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.34731.44325

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The Electromagnetic Spectrum
by Dr. Syed Ibrahim

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 1

 What is the Electromagnetic Spectrum?

• The electromagnetic spectrum is the complete

spectrum (or continuum) of all forms of “light”

• An electromagnetic wave consists of electric and

magnetic fields which vibrate - thus making waves.

• Vibrations

2
 What is the Electromagnetic Spectrum?

• The electromagnetic spectrum consists of:

• radio waves
• cell phone waves
• microwaves
• radar waves
• infrared waves
• visible light waves
• ultraviolet waves
• x-ray waves
• gamma waves

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 3

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 4
 Waves
• Properties of electromagnetic waves include speed,
frequency and wavelength

• Speed (s), frequency (f) and wavelength (l) are

related in the formula:

• s=f x l

• All light waves travel at a speed of 3 x 108 m/s in a

vacuum
The Electromagnetic Spectrum 5
 Relationship Between
Wavelength & Frequency

All parts of the electromagnetic spectrum

travel at the same speed
Therefore, wavelength and frequency have an
indirect relationship.
This means that as one characteristic
increases, the other decreases
In other words, as wavelength increases,
frequency decreases
The Electromagnetic Spectrum 6
 Relationship Between
Wavelength & Frequency

• As wavelength decreases, frequency will?

• increase

• See the relationship

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 7

 Wavelength, Frequency, Energy
• Electromagnetic wave characteristics:
– short wavelengths have a high frequency
– long wavelengths have a low frequency

• Electromagnetic waves & Energy:

– high frequency waves have high energy
– low frequency waves have low energy

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 8

 Wavelength, Frequency, Energy
Fill in the table below:

wavelength frequency energy

long
high

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 9

 Wavelength & Energy

smaller wavelengths increasing frequency increasing energy

If you haven’t already, sketch this drawing into your

notes. Don’t worry so much about the actual
wavelengths, just get the general shape and where the
various forms of light (radio, infrared, x-ray, etc) exist.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum 10
The Electromagnetic Spectrum 11
 Radio waves
• Low energy waves with longest wavelengths
• Includes FM, AM, radar and TV waves
• Wavelengths of 1 m (10 -1 m) and longer
• Low frequency
• Used in many devices such as remote control items, cell
phones, wireless devices, etc.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 12

 Microwaves
Only radio waves are longer

Wavelength 1 x 10-1 m to 1 x
10 - 4 m (1 m to 0.001 m)

used for communication,

medicine and consumer use
(microwave ovens)

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 13

 Infrared waves
• Invisible electromagnetic waves
that are detected as heat

• Can be detected with special

devices such as night goggles

• Used in heat lamps

• Higher energy than microwaves

but lower than visible light
The Electromagnetic Spectrum 14
 Visible Light

• The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that

human eyes can detect

• ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo,

violet)

• Which color has the lowest frequency?

• red has the lowest frequency – violet the highest

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 15

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 16
 Ultraviolet waves
• Higher energy than light waves

• Can cause skin cancer and blindness in

humans

• Used in tanning beds and sterilizing

equipment

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 17

 X-Rays
• High energy waves

• Used in medicine, industry

and astronomy

• Can cause cancer

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 18

 Gamma rays
• Highest energy

• Blocked from Earth’s

surface by atmosphere

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 19

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 20
 Time to remember...
① What is the relationship between
frequency and wavelength?

① What characteristic of gamma waves

gives them their high energy?

① What does ROY G BIV mean? What

part of the electromagnetic spectrum
does it refer to?

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 21

 Time to Think
④ Which color is more energetic, red or
yellow?

⑤ Which type of wave travels faster,

gamma or radio?

⑥ Why are microwaves more dangerous

than radio waves?

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 22

 Apply What You Know
⑦ You have just been involved
in a traffic incident that
leaves you stranded on the
side of the road. Which part
of the electromagnetic
spectrum would be of the
most use to you and why?

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 23

 Answers
① Frequency and wavelength are properties of waves and since speed is constant
for em waves, as frequency increases, wavelength decreases. In other words,
they have an indirect relationship.

① Gamma waves get their high energy from their extremely short wavelengths (or
extremely fast frequency)

① ROY G BIV stands for “red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. They
are the colors of the visible light in order of longest wavelength to shortest
wavelength.

① Yellow is more energetic than red because it has a shorter wavelength (or larger
frequency)

① Gamma waves and radio waves travel at the same speed

① Microwaves are more dangerous than radio waves because they have a higher
frequency and carry more energy.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum 24

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