Electromagnetic

spectrum
• The electromagnetic spectrum represents the range of energy from
low energy, low frequency radio waves with long wavelengths up to
high energy, high frequency gamma waves with small wavelengths.
 Electromagnetic waves travel
VERY FAST – around 300000
kilometres per second (the
speed of light).
At this speed they
can go around the
world 8 times in
one second.
 Speed of Electromagnetic
Waves
 All electromagnetic waves travel at 3.0 x
108 m/s in a vacuum.
 Speed of a wave formula:
 Speed = Frequency x Wavelength
 As the frequency increases, the wavelength
decreases.\
 Electromagnetic
Spectrum
 Gamma rays
Highest frequency
 X – rays
Shortest wavelength

 Ultraviolet

 Visible light

 Infra-red

 Microwaves
Lowest frequency
 Radio waves
Longest wavelength
Electromagnetic
Diagram
Spectrum
 Diagram of Electromagnetic Spectrum
(including the relationship between
frequency and wavelength).
 Electromagnetic Spectrum

 ………………………………………………
 Hence this is the complete EM wave spectrum (the waves below
in ascending order of wavelength;

descending order of frequency
)
Gamma x-rays Ultra-violet Visible Infra- Microwave Radio wave
rays ray light red ray

t f Lowest f
tλ Longest λ
 Gamma rays
Gamma rays have the shortest
wavelengths and highest
frequencies in the EM spectrum.
It is generated by :
Changes in energy levels in the
nucleus

Some radioactive substances and

certain nuclear reactions produce
gamma rays.
Because of their great penetrating
ability, gamma rays can cause serious
illness. However when used in controlled
conditions, gamma rays is useful in cancer
treatment.
 Uses of Gamma
Rays
 Kill cancer cells
 Study the
nucleus in atoms
Gamma
Rays
 Gamma rays are the highest
energy electromagnetic
wave.
 They usually come from
radioactive elements or
stars
 Uses include:
 Killing cancer cells
 Making pictures of the brain
 Inspection tools in industry
 X-rays

X rays is generated by :
a) Rapid deleceration of fast
moving electrons
b) Changes in energy of innermost
orbital electrons

X-rays are used for :

• diagnostic tool in dentistry and medicine.
Doctors and dentists can examine the
condition of a person’s bones, the root of
this teeth or the state of other inner part
of the body.
• Custom officers at airports inspect the
content of your luggage using X-rays.
• Industry wise, it is used to find cracks
in structures just like cracks in bones.
X-
Rays
 X-Rays have high energy and can
penetrate some material.
 Used in:
 Medicine
 Industry
 Transportation

e
.
X-
Rays
X-Ray radiation has a high
…frequency……………..
ability and can pass right
through our bodies.
 X-rays film forms images
depending on the
………
frequency………….. of
the X-rays falling on it.
 Uses of X-
rays
 Take ‘pictures’ of
bones in the
body
 Study the crystal
structure of crystalline
substances
 Check for cracks in
metal plates
 Ultraviolet
Waves
 UV Light that is at a higher frequency
and energy than violet light.
 UV light can kill micro-organisms.
 Too much exposure can cause:
 Sunburn,and skin cancer
 As it damages cell DNA
 Ultra-violet
The main source of ultra-violet radiation is sunlight and it is this
radiation

Ultra-violet radiation is used in hospitals to sterilize the surgical

instruments and operating theatres as it kills bacteria and viruses.
UV can be detected by:
a) Photographic plates
b) Photoelectric cell
 Uses of
Ultraviolet
 Detect
counterfeit notes
 Sterilise
medical
equipment
Visible
Light
 Visible light is made up of the 7 colored
light.
 Visible Light
Visible light is the part of the
spectrum which can be detected by the
EM

• human eye.

•The visible light has its own spectrum which consist of the 7 colours of
light : Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet

•An example of visible light is the colourful laser light or the light
from a firework.

•Some of the uses of light is in optical fibres in medicine and

telecommunications.
 Visible
Light
 Our eyes detect
electromagnetic energy in a
small portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum
called the visible light
region.

 The visible light region

corresponds the
wavelengths and
frequencies of
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 Uses of Visible
Light
 Enable us to
see
things
 Photosynthes
i s in plants
 Infra-red
waves
Heat can be transferred
through
We often think of infra red infrared
as being radiation
the same
thing as 'heat', because it makes our skin feel
warm.
Most of you might have seen infra-red waves in use
during the SARS period. (picture on the top right hand
corner). It shows a thermo-detector which is placed
outside hospitals/airport to identify the warm and cool
parts of a person by analyzing infra-red radiation
emitted from the person’s body. And through this we
can see if someone is having a fever.

Infra red is useful for:

-Medical treatment : to warm injured muscles/sports
injuries
 Uses of Infra-
red
 Heating
 Infrared
Waves
 Infrared waves are heat waves.
 All objects emit infrared waves because all
objects possess heat.
 Night vision goggles detect infrared waves and
allow the user to see the movement of objects in
the dark.
 Many TV remotes use infrared.
 Microwaves
One of their most common uses is in
microwave ovens. When you switch on
a microwave oven , it gives off
electromagnetic waves that bounce
around inside the oven, penetrating
the food. Water molecules in the food
absorb the energy from the
microwaves, causing the food to get
hot.

Other uses of microwaves:

a) Radar communication (as it is not
easily blocked of by buildings/trees)
b) Telephone communication (mobile
phones, etc)
 Uses of
Microwaves
 Radar
communication
 Analysis of the
molecular and
atomic
structure
 Telephone
communications
 Radio
Radio waves are waves
the electromagnetic
waves with the longest wavelengths and
lowest frequencies

Like all electromagnetic waves, radio

waves can travel through a vacuum.
However most of the radio waves we
receive have traveled through air. Take
the radio as an example. The radio
converts the electromagnetic waves
into the sound that comes out of the
radio speakers.

Uses of radio waves:

a) Radio and television
communication (to transmit sound
and picture information over long
distance)
b) Radar & satellite communication
 Uses of Radio
Waves
 Radar
communications
 TV and
radio
broadcasting
Radio
Waves
Radio waves have the
……highest……………
wavelengths in the
electromagnetic spectrum.
 Radio waves do more
than just bring music to
your radio.
 THANK YOU
……..
SITE ATLEAST 2 USES OF EACH
ELECTROMAGNETIC
SPECTRUM FROM GAMMA
RAYS TO RADIO WAVES