The EM Spectrum

Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson

01: Dispersion
02/03: The EM Spectrum
04: Pupil Research
05: Pupil Presentations

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EM Double and Triple Science Syllabus

The electromagnetic spectrum

understand that light is part of a continuous electromagnetic spectrum which includes radio,
microwave, infra-red, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma ray radiations and that all these waves
travel at the same speed in free space

recall the order of the electromagnetic spectrum in decreasing wavelength and increasing
frequency, including the colours of the visible spectrum

recall some of the uses of electromagnetic radiations, including

radio waves: broadcasting and communications
microwaves: cooking and satellite transmissions
infra-red: heaters and night-vision equipment
visible light: optical fibres and photography
ultraviolet: fluorescent lamps
X-rays: observing the internal structure of objects and materials and medical applications
gamma rays: sterilising food and medical equipment

recall the detrimental effects of excessive exposure of the human body to electromagnetic waves,
including
microwaves : internal heating of body tissue
infra-red : skin burns
ultraviolet : damage to surface cells and blindness
gamma rays : cancer, mutation

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Dispersion

09/27/16

Aim:

To be able to explain the cause of dispersion

To explain the nature of the electromagnetic
spectrum

Starter:

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Dispersion
The white light ray is
split into a spectrum of
colours. This is known as
DISPERSION.

The different colours of light

have different wavelengths.
Different wavelengths are
refracted different amounts.

How
do youOf
remember
order
of the colours?
Richard
Yorkthe
Gave
Battle
In Vain

Which colour is refracted the most?

Red light is refracted least.

Violet light is refracted the most.

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Colour, Wavelength and Amplitude

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Newtons Disk

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Dispersion Summary

Red/violet

Red/violet

Refracted more/less by
glass

Refracted more/less by
glass

Longer/shorter
wavelength

Longer/shorter
wavelength

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Addition of Colours
There

are three primary

colours:
Red
Blue
Green
By adding together the
primary colours you can
make other colours. For example red and blue
make green.
This is different to the reflection of light this is
an optical illusion due to the way your eyes work.
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Colour Blindness

No functioning cones:
See black and white, have problems with daylight, because it is too
bright for them; they also lack visual acuity
One type of cone working:
see colours only as variations in intensity, similar to black-and-white
or one colour images
Red Cone Not Working:
typically only two (yellow, blue) can be distinguished - yellow
comprises red, orange, yellow, and green, blue coincides with blue and
purple
Green cone not working;
green cannot be distinguished from certain combinations of red and
blue; this is the most common type of colour deficiency
Blue cone not working:
longer wavelengths appear as red and the shorter ones as bluishgreen; this colour deficiency is very rare
More than 8% of the male and about 0.04% of the female population
have some sort of colour anomaly or deficiency.

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Tests

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Which is Longer?
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A Spiral?

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Definitions

Copy

All Electromagnetic waves are energy waves

They can travel through a vacuum
They all travel at the speed of light (300 000 000
m/s)
We group them by their properties and hence uses,
inside each group is a range of frequencies.

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Electromagnetic Spectrum

Wavelength () increases

Radio

Most penetrating

Micro

High energy

Infra-R
ed

Short wavelength

Light

Ultra-Vi
olet

X rays

Gamma

High frequency

Low frequency
Highfrequency
frequency
Low

Long wavelength

Shortwavelength
wavelength
Long

Low energy

Highenergy
energy
Low

Least penetrating

Most penetrating
Least
penetrating
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The EM Spectrum

recap

Aim:
To explain the dangers and uses of the EM Spectrum
Starter:
Light, a type of radiation, is part of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
The electromagnetic spectrum is made
up of different types of radiation.
The different types of radiation have
different properties and behaviour.
All electromagnetic waves can travel
through space.
All electromagnetic waves travel at the
same speed in a vacuum [300,000,000
m/s].

TRUE/FALSE
TRUE/FALSE
TRUE/FALSE
TRUE/FALSE
TRUE/FALSE
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The Electromagnetic Spectrum 09/27/16

Aim:
To explain the uses and dangers of the EM Spectrum

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Electromagnetic Spectrum

Wavelength () increases

Radio

Micro

Infra-R
ed

Light

UltraViolet

X rays

Gamma

High frequency

Remember

Low frequency

Short wavelength

My

Long wavelength

High energy

Instructions

Low energy

Most penetrating

Visible

Least penetrating

Under
X Ray
Glasses

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Uses and dangers of EM radiation

Copy the Top of the following table into your books
(we will fill it in as we go)

Radiation

Uses

Dangers

Gamma
X-rays
Ultraviolet
Light
Infra red
Microwaves
Radio waves
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Microbes can be
killed using gamma
radiation

High
Level
nuclear
waste

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Increasing
dose

healthy
brain
tissue

tumour

view through
the head

Gamma rays can be used

to treat brain tumours
skull
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EM Radiation:
Gamma

Uses:

sterilising surgical
equipment and food,
killing cancer cells.

Dangers:
High doses can kill cells.
Lower does can cause cancer
(brain, liver, bone, leukemia)
Sterility
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X-ray
tube

Jumbo jet wings are

regularly checked in
this way to see if any
micro-cracks have
developed. These small cracks are too small to
see any other way and could have fatal
consequences.
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X-ray
tube

Detection of broken
bones in the body
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Customs

X-Rays are used to scan luggage in customs

Movie

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Damage to organs.
X-rays can penetrate
to the vital organs
inside the body.

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EM Radiation:
X rays

Uses:

Shadow pictures of
luggage and inside the
human body.

Dangers:
High doses can kill cells.
Lower doses can cause
cancer
Sterility

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UV

39637
Visible light
(longer wavelength)

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Movie Friends

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The effect of UV on cells

Outer dead skin cells Outer dead skin cells

Living skin cells

Living skin cells

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EM Radiation:
Ultraviolet

Uses:

Sun beds, fluorescent

lamps and security
marking.

Dangers:
Sun Burn.
Skin cancer
Blindness
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Movie Shorter Wavelengths

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Optical Fibres
Optical
Whatfibres,
are thethat are
used
applications
in communication,
of
use
total
total
internal
internal
reflection.
reflection?

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EM Radiation:
Light

Uses:
Photography and
endoscopes

Dangers:
Blindness
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During the day

the earth warms
up as it absorbs
short wave
infrared rays
from the sun

During the night the earth

loses longer wavelength
infrared rays by
radiating them
into space
and the earth
cools down.
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Too much water

vapour and carbon
dioxide in the
atmosphere will
trap the infrared
rays and cause
the earth to overheat

This effect is
called the
greenhouse
effect
(or global
warming)

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How do infrared waves cook food?

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Night vision
All objects above absolute zero
emit infrared radiation. The hotter
an object is, the more heat
radiation it emits. Some animals
and cameras can detect infrared
radiation and are able to build up
a heat picture.

Which are the

hottest/coolest parts of
the image shown?

light is hot

Walking in the
Woodland
Fireman

dark is cold
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Uses of infrared activity

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EM Radiation:
Infrared
Uses:

Remote controls, radiant

heaters, grills, optical fibre
communication, night vision,
Mobile Phones

Dangers:

Skin burns

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Communications
satellites use
microwaves
The microwaves can
pass straight through
the ionosphere
Their shorter wavelength
(higher frequency)
means they are more
penetrating than radio
waves
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Microwave oven
The microwaves
You
will need to understand
have the exact
howwavelength
microwaves
cook food to be absorbed by the water
(frequency)
molecules
The molecules move faster
The water temperature
increases

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Demo

DO NOT do this at Home

Beaker with water in the microwave

Light Bulb in the beaker
Heat for 5 seconds (until the light bulb lights)

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EM Radiation:
Microwaves
Uses:

Satellite communication,
mobile phones, cooking,
RADAR.

Dangers:
Internal tissue
heating.
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Short wave radio and TV waves are

broadcasted to line of sight aerials.
They cannot travel large distances because of
the curvature of the earth.

aerial 1

aerial 2
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Short wave radio and TV waves are

broadcasted to line of sight aerials.
They cannot travel large distances because of
the curvature of the earth.

transmitter
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Radio waves can reach the aerial if we use

a charged layer in the atmosphere (the
IONOSPHERE).
IONOSPHERE

The radio waves are reflected by this charged

layer
Remember that all types of light waves
(electromagnetic radiation) can be reflected
aerial

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EM Radiation:
Radio waves
Uses:

Communication and
astronomy.

Dangers:

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Movie Longer Wavelengths

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The electromagnetic spectrum

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Energy of electromagnetic waves

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Effect of electromagnetic waves

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EM Questions
1)

Match up the following parts of the electromagnetic

spectrum with their uses :

Gamma rays

Allow us to see

Radio waves

Remote Controls

Ultra Violet

See broken bones

Visible

Carry TV signals

Microwaves

RADAR

X rays

Sterilise equipment

Infra Red

Causes sun-tans
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EM Questions
2) Which radiations are missing from below?

Gamma

Ultraviolet

A.
B.

Light

Infrared

Radio waves

___________
X rays
Microwaves
___________

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Electromagnetic Spectrum

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Movie Uses of EM Spectrum

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The EM Spectrum

recap

Aim:
To explain the dangers and uses of the EM Spectrum

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Research 09/27/16
Aim:
Prepare a presentation on part of the EM
Spectrum
Task:
Groups of 2 or 3
Your presentation should last 3-4 minutes
Everyone must talk
You must explain at least the uses and dangers

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Pupil Presentations 09/27/16

Aim:
Make a presentation on your part of the EM
Spectrum

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