Electromagnetic

Spectrum
 “
The electromagnetic spectrum is the
range of frequencies (the spectrum) of
electromagnetic radiation and their
respective wavelengths and photon
energies.

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 1.
Radio Waves

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 Radio Waves

◍ Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic

radiation with wavelengths in the electromagnetic
spectrum longer than infrared light.
◍ Radio waves have frequencies as high as 300
gigahertz (GHz) to as low as 30 hertz (Hz). At 300
GHz, the corresponding wavelength is 1 mm, and
at 30 Hz is 10,000 km.

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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment

◍ Radio waves are dangerous for the human body (if

exposed for a long time) because, even if they are
not unhealthy in a short period, they can cause
cells’ death by apoptosis and necrosis
and DNA damage. Thus they can cause organs
failure and generalized problems to organism.

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 Uses

◍ Naturally occurring radio waves are emitted by lightning

and astronomical objects. Radio waves are generated
artificially by transmitters and received by radio receivers,
using antennas.
◍ Radio waves are very widely used in modern technology
for fixed and mobile radio communication, broadcasting,
radar and other navigation systems, communications
satellites, wireless computer networks and many other
applications.

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 2.
Microwaves

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 Microwaves

◍ Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic

radiation with wavelengths ranging from about
one meter to one millimeter; with frequencies
between 300 MHz (1 m) and 300 GHz (1 mm).
◍ A more common definition in radio engineering is
the range between 1 and 100 GHz (wavelengths
between 0.3 m and 3 mm).

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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment
◍ Some, but not all, studies suggest that long-term exposure
to microwaves may have a carcinogenic effect. This is
separate from the risks associated with very high-intensity
exposure, which can cause heating and burns like any heat
source.
◍ Exposure to heavy doses of microwave radiation can
produce heat damage in other tissues as well, including
serious burns that may not be immediately evident because
of the tendency for microwaves to heat deeper tissues with
higher moisture content.

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 Uses

◍ Microwaves are widely used in modern technology, for

example in point-to-point communication links,
wireless networks, microwave radio relay networks,
radar, satellite and spacecraft communication, medical
diathermy and cancer treatment, remote sensing,
radio astronomy, particle accelerators, spectroscopy,
industrial heating, collision avoidance systems, garage
door openers and keyless entry systems, and for
cooking food in microwave ovens.

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 3.
Infrared Waves

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 Infrared Waves

◍ Infrared radiation (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is

electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with longer wavelengths
than those of visible light, and is therefore generally
invisible to the human eye, although IR at wavelengths up
to 1050 nanometers (nm)s from specially pulsed lasers
can be seen by humans under certain conditions.
◍ IR wavelengths extend from the nominal red edge of the
visible spectrum at 700 nanometers (frequency 430 THz),
to 1 millimeter (300 GHz).

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 Infrared Waves

◍ Most of the thermal radiation emitted by

objects near room temperature is infrared.
As with all EMR, IR carries radiant energy
and behaves both like a wave and like its
quantum particle, the photon.

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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment

◍ Slightly more than half of the total energy from the Sun
was eventually found to arrive on Earth in the form of
infrared. The balance between absorbed and emitted
infrared radiation has a critical effect on Earth's climate.
◍ In direct sunlight, the temperature of human skin rises to
about 40 degrees C following the conversion of absorbed
IR into heat. Recent work demonstrates that IR and heat
exposure add to premature skin aging.

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 Uses

◍ Infrared radiation is used in industrial, scientific, military, law

enforcement, and medical applications. Night-vision devices
using active near-infrared illumination allow people or animals
to be observed without the observer being detected. Infrared
astronomy uses sensor-equipped telescopes to penetrate dusty
regions of space such as molecular clouds, detect objects such
as planets, and to view highly red-shifted objects from the early
days of the universe. Infrared thermal-imaging cameras are
used to detect heat loss in insulated systems, to observe
changing blood flow in the skin, and to detect overheating of
electrical apparatus.
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 Uses

◍ Extensive uses for military and civilian applications

include target acquisition, surveillance, night vision,
homing, and tracking. Humans at normal body
temperature radiate chiefly at wavelengths around 10 μm
(micrometers). Non-military uses include thermal
efficiency analysis, environmental monitoring, industrial
facility inspections, detection of grow-ops, remote
temperature sensing, short-range wireless
communication, spectroscopy, and weather forecasting.

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 4.
Visible Light

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 Visible Light

◍ The visible spectrum is the portion of the

electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the
human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this
range of wavelengths is called visible light or
simply light. A typical human eye will respond to
wavelengths from about 380 to 740 nanometers.
In terms of frequency, this corresponds to a band
in the vicinity of 430–770 THz.
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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment

◍ Excessive exposure to visible light, especially in the

blue spectrum, links to age-related macular
degeneration. Light in the visible spectrum can cause
photodegradation of pigments and colorants. While not as
powerful as UV light at causing fading, blue and
violet light can cause a similar though lesser effect.
◍ Visible light is also essential to the following natural
processes: phototaxis, phototropism, photoperiodism,
circadian rhythms, and sight.

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 Uses

◍ The obvious use of visible light is for us to be able

to see our environment. However, too much
exposure to visible light could damage our retinas
and the skin.

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 5.
Ultraviolet Rays

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 Ultraviolet Rays

◍ Ultraviolet (UV) designates a band of the electromagnetic

spectrum with wavelength from 10 nm to 400 nm,
shorter than that of visible light but longer than X-rays.
UV radiation is present in sunlight, and contributes about
10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from
the Sun. It is also produced by electric arcs and
specialized lights, such as mercury-vapor lamps, tanning
lamps, and black lights. It can cause chemical reactions
and causes many substances to glow or fluoresce.

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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment

◍ Suntan and sunburn are familiar effects of over-exposure of

the skin to UV, along with higher risk of skin cancer. Living
things on dry land would be severely damaged by ultraviolet
radiation from the Sun if most of it were not filtered out by
the Earth's atmosphere.
◍ Ultraviolet is also responsible for the formation of bone-
strengthening vitamin D in most land vertebrates, including
humans (specifically, UVB). The UV spectrum thus has
effects both beneficial and harmful to human health

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 Uses

◍ 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 sterilise surgical equipment and the air in
operating theatres. Food and drug companies also
use UV lamps to sterilise their products

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 6.
X-rays

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 X-rays

◍ X-rays make up X-radiation, a form of high-energy

electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a
wavelength ranging from 0.01 to 10 nanometers,
corresponding to frequencies in the range 30
petahertz to 30 exahertz (3×1016 Hz to 3×1019 Hz)
and energies in the range 100 eV to 100 keV.
◍ X-ray wavelengths are shorter than those of UV rays
and typically longer than those of gamma rays.

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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment

◍ While X-rays are linked to a slightly increased risk of

cancer, there is an extremely low risk of short-term
side effects. Exposure to high radiation levels can have
a range of effects, such as vomiting, bleeding, fainting,
hair loss, and the loss of skin and hair. However, X-rays
provide such a low dose of radiation that they are not
believed to cause any immediate health problems.

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 Uses

◍ Not only are x-rays used in checking for

broken bones, they can also spot
pneumonia and breast cancer. They are
also used for radiation therapy, airport
security, and revealing counterfeit art.

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 7.
Gamma Rays

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 Gamma Rays

◍ Gamma ray, or gamma radiation, is a penetrating

electromagnetic radiation arising from the
radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of
the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves
and so imparts the highest photon energy.

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 Gamma Rays

◍ Natural sources of gamma rays originating on Earth are mostly

as a result of radioactive decay and secondary radiation from
atmospheric interactions with cosmic ray particles. However,
there are other rare natural sources, such as terrestrial gamma-
ray flashes, which produce gamma rays from electron action
upon the nucleus.
◍ Notable artificial sources of gamma rays include fission, such as
that which occurs in nuclear reactors, and high energy physics
experiments, such as neutral pion decay and nuclear fusion. A
large fraction of astronomical gamma rays are screened by
Earth's atmosphere.
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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment

◍ Gamma rays are ionizing radiation and are thus

biologically hazardous. Due to their high penetration
power, they can damage bone marrow and internal
organs. Unlike alpha and beta rays, they pass easily
through the body and thus pose a formidable radiation
protection challenge, requiring shielding made from
dense materials such as lead or concrete.

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 Uses

◍ Some instruments use gamma rays to provide our only

view of the universe.
◍ Gamma rays are used to alter the properties of semi-
precious stones. They are also used as sensors and
detectors.
◍ They are also known to kill bacteria and are therefore
useful in sterilization. Despite their cancer-causing
properties, gamma rays are also used to treat some types
of cancer.

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Radioactivity
 “
Radioactivity refers to the
particles which are emitted from
nuclei as a result of nuclear
instability.

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Most common types of radiation:

α β γ
Alpha Beta Gamma

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 1.
Alpha (α)
Radioactivity

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 Alpha Radiation

◍ Alpha particles, also called alpha ray or alpha radiation,

consist of two protons and two neutrons bound
together into a particle identical to a helium-4 nucleus
◍ Because of its very large mass (more than 7000 times
the mass of the beta particle) and its charge, it has a
very short range.
◍ The alpha particle is the nucleus of the helium atom
and is the nucleus of highest stability.

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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment

◍ It is not suitable for radiation therapy since its range is

less than a tenth of a millimeter inside the body.
◍ Its main radiation hazard comes when it is ingested
into the body; it has great destructive power within its
short range. In contact with fast-growing membranes
and living cells, it is positioned for maximum damage.

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 Uses

◍ Alpha radiation can be used in cancer treatment,

static elimination, smoke detection, spacecraft
power, remote sensing stations, heating devices,
seismic and oceanographic devices, and are
energy sources that power heart pacemakers.

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 2.
Beta (β)
Radioactivity

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 Beta Radiation

◍ Beta particle, also called beta radiation or beta

ray, is a high-energy, high-speed electron or
positron emitted by the radioactive decay of an
atomic nucleus during the process of beta decay.
◍ The high energy electrons have greater range
of penetration than alpha particles, but still much
less than gamma rays. The radiation hazard from
betas is greatest if they are ingested.
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 Effect on Living Things
and/or the Environment

◍ External exposure can cause burns and tissue damage,

along with other symptoms of radiation sickness. If
radioactive material enters food or water supplies or is
dispersed into the air, people can inhale or ingest beta
particle emitters unknowingly. Internal exposure to
beta particles causes much more severe symptoms
than external exposure.

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 Uses

◍ Beta radiation is used in some forms of therapy to

kill cancer cells, in industry, and as tracers in
chemical and biological research.

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Mao rato frens
God bless sa SIP!
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