Types Of Electromagnetic Radiation

Electromagnetic Wave or electromagnetic radiation is a wave that is created as a result of vibrations between an electric field
and magnetic field, hence known as ‘electromagnetic wave’, the changing magnetic field will produce electric field. A wave
carries energy as it propagates, EM wave does the same, too. EM waves can travel through anything even on vacuum, meaning
they do not need any medium to travel. They travel in a vacuum at a speed of 3x108 m/s.

Terms:
Wavelength - is the distance between crest to crest or trough to trough. EM waves are bounded at different ranges. Meaning
each type of EM waves has upper and lower limits on the spectrum.
Crest – It is the apex of a wave
Trough – It is the bottom of a wave
Opticks – The book Isaac Newton wrote about the discovery of visible light.
Dispersion - a process in which a prism separates white light into band of colors
Ionosphere - a region in the Earth's upper atmosphere that contains ionized particles.

EM Waves (Longest to Shortest in Wavelength)

Radio Waves - Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation. Radio waves have the longest wavelength in the
electromagnetic spectrum. They are produced by making electrons vibrate in an antenna. They are used to transmit sound and
picture information over long distances. Radio Waves were discovered by Heinrich Hertz in 1887. The SI unit of frequency was
named after him.

Microwaves - Microwave is a kind of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from roughly one meter to one
millimeter and frequencies ranging from 300 MHz to 300 GHz. They are situated between radio waves and infrared radiation in
the electromagnetic spectrum. There are two types of microwaves, which are ones that get absorbed by water which provides
heat by vibrating water molecules, and those that don’t which are the microwaves that transmit signals Microwaves were
discovered by Heinrich Hertz in 1888.

Infrared - Infrared radiation (IR), or infrared light, is a type of radiant energy that's invisible to human eyes but that we can feel

as heat. Its range extends from fairly small wavelengths near the color red, 700x10-9 m, to nearly a millimeter, 3x10-4 m.
Even though infrared radiation cannot be seen by the human eye, it can definitely be felt. Infrared energy is felt as heat because
it interacts with molecules by exciting them, causing them to move faster which increases the internal temperature of the object
absorbing the infrared energy. While Experimenting with visible light, in 1800 William Herschell Discovered infrared by noticing
that from blue to red, there was an increase of heat, and an increase of temperature beyond visible light.

Visible Light - The only region of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be detected by the human eye. This region is commonly
known as visible light. It is a narrow band of electromagnetic radiation that ranges from approximately 400 to 700 nanometers
in wavelength. Visible light is responsible for the colors we see in the world around us, from the blue of the sky to the green of
grass and the red of a stop sign. While visible light is just a small part of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, it plays a crucial
role in our ability to perceive the world visually. Isaac Newton 1665 - 1666 He discovered the colors of the visible light through
series of experiments using prism. In his experiments, Newton first refracted the white light through a prism, dispersing the
colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. In his book Opticks, he documented his experiments refracting light. His works
led to breakthrough in optics, physics, chemistry, perception, study of color and its nature.

Ultraviolet - Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation that is emitted by the sun and artificial sources, such as
tanning beds. While it has some benefits for people, including the creation of Vitamin D, it also can cause health risks. Our
natural source of UV radiation: The sun. Ultraviolet (UV) is an electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm to 40 nm,
shorter than that of visible light but longer than X-ray. These rays are invisible to the human eye It was discovered in 1801 by
German Physicist Johann Wilhelm Ritter and Vaccum UV.

X-rays - X-radiations (X-Ray) is a form of electromagnetic radiations. Most x-rays have a wavelength if 0.01-10 nanometers,
corresponding frequencies in the range of 30 petahertz (3x10¹⁶ Hz) to 30 exahertz (3x10¹⁹) and energies in the range of 100eV to
100 keV. It was invented by a German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen in 1985. He named it X-Radiations to signify an
unknown type of radiation. It is an important diagnostic tool for medical conditions like bone fractures, pulmonary tuberculosis,
etc.

Gamma Rays - gamma rays are the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, with a very short wavelength of less than
one-tenth of a nanometer. on earth, gamma rays are produced by radioactive decay, nuclear weapons and lightning, while in
space they are produced by violent, high-energy sources such as solar flares, quasars, black holes tearing stars apart, black-hole

Paul Villard, made the discovery of gamma radiation while researching radiation emitted from radium. Villard was aware that
the radiation he had described was more potent than the beta and alpha rays that had previously been discovered.
Uses of each wave
Radio Waves:
Broadcasting: Used for radio and television broadcasting.
Communication: Employed in various forms of wireless communication, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile phones.
Microwaves:
Cooking: Microwave ovens use microwaves to heat food by exciting water molecules.
Communication: Satellite communication and some forms of terrestrial communication use microwaves.
Infrared Radiation:
Thermography: Used in infrared cameras to detect variations in temperature, commonly in medical imaging and night-vision devices.
Remote Controls: Infrared signals are often used for remote control devices.
Visible Light:
Human Vision: The range of wavelengths visible to the human eye enables us to see our surroundings.
Fiber Optic Communication: Optical fibers transmit data using pulses of visible light.
Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation:
Sterilization: UV light is used for disinfection and sterilization in various applications, such as water treatment and germicidal lamps.
Forensic Science: UV light is used to reveal fluorescence in materials like biological substances.
X-rays:
Medical Imaging: X-rays are widely used in medical diagnostics to visualize the internal structure of the body.
Airport Security: X-ray scanners are used for security screening at airports to inspect luggage.
Gamma Rays:
Medical Treatments: Gamma rays are used in cancer treatment (radiotherapy) to kill cancer cells.
Industrial Applications: Used for inspecting welds and detecting flaws in materials.
accretion disks, exploding stars and the strong gravitational environments of neutron stars. Gamma decay is the name for the
radioactive decay process that was the first source of gamma rays to be identified. In The 1900s, French scientist and physicist,

Characteristics of each EM wave by wavelength and frequency

Radio Waves:
Wavelength: Long wavelengths (from meters to kilometers).
Frequency: Low frequencies (from kilohertz to gigahertz).
Microwaves:
Wavelength: Shorter than radio waves (centimeters to millimeters).
Frequency: Higher frequencies (gigahertz).
Infrared Radiation:
Wavelength: Longer than visible light (micrometers to millimeters).
Frequency: Higher than microwaves but lower than visible light.
Visible Light:
Wavelength: Narrow range, 400 to 700 nanometers.
Frequency: High frequencies.
Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation:
Wavelength: Shorter than visible light (nanometers).
Frequency: Higher frequencies.
X-rays:
Wavelength: Very short (picometers to nanometers).
Frequency: Very high frequencies.
Gamma Rays:
Wavelength: Extremely short (picometers or less).
Frequency: Extremely high frequencies.

Scientists and their contributions:

James Clark Maxwell (1860s) - Contributed in developing equations that showed the relationship of electricity and magnetism
Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1888) - Showed experimental evidence of electromagnetic waves and their link to light, and he had also discovered radio
waves and microwaves
Hans Christian Ørsted (1820) - Demonstrated the magnetic effect based on the direction of current.
Michael Faraday (1831 - 1832) – Formulated the principle behind electromagnetic induction.
Frederick William Herschel (1800) - Discovered infrared by noticing that from blue to red, there was an increase of heat, and an increase of
temperature beyond visible light.
Isaac Newton (1665-1666) – Discovered visible light spectrum
Johann Wilhelm Ritter (1801) – Discovered UV wavelength
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1985) – Discovered X-Ray
Paul Ulrich Villard (1900) – Discovered Gamma Rays