Electromagnetic Spectrum
Unit 3 Lesson 3
Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Florida Benchmark
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• SC.7.P.10.1 Illustrate that the sun’s energy arrives as radiation with a wide range of wavelengths, including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet, and that white light is made up of a spectrum of many different colors.
Waves… a review
Most waves are either longitudinal or transverse.
Sound waves are longitudinal. But all electromagnetic waves
are transverse…
?
?
Electromagnetic Light Show
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What is the nature of light?
• Light waves are different from other kinds of waves.
• When an electrically charged particle vibrates, its fields also vibrate, producing an electromagnetic (EM) wave.
• Light waves are vibrating electric and magnetic fields that transfer energy through space.
Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Electromagnetic waves Produced by the movement of
electrically charged particles Can travel in a “vacuum” (they do
NOT need a medium Travel at the speed of light
Also known as EM waves
Wave-particle Duality Light can behave like a wave or like
a particle A “particle” of light is called a photon
What is the nature of light?
• EM waves travel as perpendicular electric and magnetic fields.
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Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
What is the nature of light?
• Radiation is energy that has been transmitted by waves or particles. This transfer of energy is called EM radiation.
• All EM waves move at the same speed in a vacuum: the speed of light.
• EM waves can travel through many materials.
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Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
What determines the color of light?
• Different wavelengths of light are perceived by our eyes as different colors.
• White light is what we perceive when we see all the wavelengths of light at once, in equal proportions.
• Our eyes only register three colors of light: red, green, and blue. All other colors we see are a mixture of these three colors.
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Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Invisible Colors
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What are the parts of the EM spectrum?
• The range of frequencies that EM waves can have are called the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum.
Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Radio waves Longest wavelength EM waves Uses:
TV broadcasting AM and FM broadcast radio Avalanche beacons Heart rate monitors Cell phone communication
Microwaves Wavelengths from 1 mm- 1 m Uses:
Microwave ovens Bluetooth headsets Broadband Wireless Internet Radar GPS
Infrared Radiation Wavelengths in between microwaves
and visible light Uses:
Night vision goggles Remote controls Heat-seeking missiles
Visible light Only type of EM wave able to be
detected by the human eye Violet is the highest frequency light Red light is the lowest frequency
light
Ultraviolet Shorter wavelengths than visible
light Uses:
Black lights Sterilizing medical equipment Water disinfection Security images on money
Ultraviolet (cont.) UVA UVB and UVC
Energy Highest of UV waves
Lower than UVA
Health risks
Extremely low risk for DNA damage Can destroy Vitamin A in skin
Can cause DNA damage, leading to skin cancer Responsible for sunburn
X-rays Tiny wavelength, high energy waves
Uses: Medical imaging Airport security Inspecting industrial welds
Gamma Rays Smallest wavelengths, highest
energy EM waves Uses
Food irradiation Cancer treatment Treating wood flooring
Star Light, Star Bright
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How much of the sun’s energy reaches us? • Most of the sun’s energy is in the narrow visible
light range, but the sun gives off some radiation in every part of the spectrum.
Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
How much of the sun’s energy reaches us? • Not all wavelengths of light penetrate the
atmosphere equally. Radio waves penetrate the atmosphere easily.
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Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
How much of the sun’s energy reaches us? • Some EM radiation can be dangerous to humans,
so we take extra steps to protect ourselves.
• UV light can be harmful. It can penetrate clouds.
• In space, the dangers from EM radiation are very high because there is no atmosphere to filter the radiation.
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Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Frequency Asked Questions
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How much energy does EM radiation have? • Different frequencies of EM waves carry different
amounts of energy.
• High-frequency EM waves have more energy than low-frequency EM waves.
Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
How much energy does EM radiation have? • Because low-frequency waves, such as radio
waves, carry less energy, they are safer. Walkie-talkies and baby monitors use radio waves.
• High-frequency waves, such as UV light, carry more energy and can be harmful. UV light causes sunburns, and X-rays require precautions.
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Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Fire in the Sky
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• The stream of electrically charged particles from the sun is called the solar wind.
• When solar wind encounters Earth’s magnetic field, the particles are accelerated.
• When the accelerated particles collide with the atmosphere, they give off EM radiation in the form of light.
Unit 3 Lesson 3 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Fire in the Sky
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• Near the poles, the accelerated particles form an aurora that can light up the sky.
• The aurora at the North Pole is called the aurora borealis. At the South Pole, it is called the aurora australis.
• The color of the aurora depends on the type of atoms in the atmosphere that react with the solar wind.