Electromagnetic Radiation

In an atom there are two basic types of electric charges; Protons which are positively charged, and Electrons which are negatively charged. The electric force between Protons and Electrons cause them to orbit the nucleus of the atom, while like charges being attracted and unlike charges repelled this attraction and repulsion of the Protons and Electrons are governed by Coulombs Law. In an atom the Protons and Electrons do not actually make contact. Any electric charge creates an electric field; this electric field exerts a force on another electric charge. With electric fields Protons and Electrons are able to exert forces on each other. When Electrons are excited they start to move, moving electrons set up changing electric fields. Changing electric fields cause magnetic fields. This is evident in a nail and battery experiment, if a wire is wrapped around a piece of metal (nail) the electrons moving though the wire form changing electric fields, these changing electric fields produce a magnetic field which cause the nail to act as a magnet. Electromagnetic radiation happens when an atom absorbs energy the energy absorbed causes on or more electrons within the atom to change their initial positions, when the electrons returns to their original position, an electromagnetic wave is produced. Depending on the atoms structure and the amount of energy absorbed this electromagnetic radiation can take the form of light, heat, ultraviolet or other electromagnetic waves. In an electromagnetic wave the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other. They both are also perpendicular to the direction in which the wave is proporgates or travels. The electric and magnetic fields oscillate together between maximum positive and maximum negative values. Amplitude. The frequency of these oscillations and the wavelength of the waves determines whether the electromagnetic wave is *Visible Light (also the color of that visible light whether Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet), Ultraviolet light, Microwaves, Infrared Light, Radio waves, X-rays or gamma rays.

*List of electromagnet waves mentioned is not in any specific order.

All electromagnetic waves are transverse waves; their vibration is from side to side that is at right angles to the direction at which the travel.

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Sources of Electromagnetic fields

Natural sources of electromagnetic fields Electromagnetic fields are present everywhere in our environment but are not seen because they are invisible to the human eye. Electric fields are produced by the build-up of electric charges in the atmosphere associated with thunderstorms. The needle on compasses is oriented North-South by the earths magnetic field. The earths magnetic field is also used by birds and fish for navigation.

Man-made Sources of electromagnetic fields In the electromagnetic spectrum there are fields that are generated by man-made sources such as X-rays, Microwaves. X-rays are used to diagnose broken limbs and other body parts in humanbeings. Electricity coming out of power sockets also contains low frequency electromagnetic fields. Man also creates Radiowaves to transmit information across the world by using TV antennas, radio stations or mobile phone base stations.

Non-ionizing and Ionizing radiation

Electromagnetic waves are carried by particles called quanta. Quanta of higher frequency (shorter wavelength) waves carry more energy than lower frequency (longer wavelength) fields. Some electromagnetic waves carry so much energy per quantum that they have the ability to break bonds between molecules. In the electromagnetic spectrum, gamma rays and X-rays carry this property and are called 'Ionizing Radiation'. Fields whose quanta are insufficient to break molecular bonds are called 'Non-ionizing Radiation'. Such as: Microwaves and Radiowaves they are found at the long wavelength and low frequency end of the electromagnetic spectrum and their quanta are unable to break chemical bonds.

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Types or Radiation, their wavelength (m), frequency(f) and energy (J)

Radiation Type Wavelength (m) Frequency (Hz) Energy (J)

Radio Waves Microwave Radiation Infrared Radiation Visible Radiation Ultraviolet Radiation X-ray Radiation Gamma Radiation

Greater than 1x10-1 1x10-3 1x10-1 7x10-7 1x10-3 4x10-7 7x10-7 1x10-8 4x10-7 1x10-11 1x10-8 More than 1x10-11

< 3 x 109 3 x 109 - 3 x 1011 3 x 1011 - 4 x 1014 4 x 1014 - 7.5 x 1014 7.5 x 1014 - 3 x 1016 3 x 1016 - 3 x 1019 > 3 x 1019

< 2 x 10-24 2 x 10-24- 2 x 10-22 2 x 10-22 - 3 x 10-19 3 x 10-19 - 5 x 10-19 5 x 10-19 - 2 x 10-17 2 x 10-17 - 2 x 10-14 > 2 x 10-14

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Electromagnetic Waves Defining Diagrams

Electromagnetic waves transport energy through empty space, stored in the propagating electric and magnetic fields.

Magnetic field variation is perpendicular to electric field.

A single-frequency magnetic wave exhibits a sinusoidal variation of electric and magnetic fields in space.

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Electromagnetic Spectrum Defining Diagrams

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Visible Light
In the Visible light part of the spectrum it can be further subdivided according to color, where red with the longer wavelength is at the end and violet with the shower wavelength at the opposite end, this is the part that our eyes can see. To help remember these colors we can remember the name: ROY G. BV, where R- Red O- Orange Y- Yellow G- Green B- Blue V- Violet

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Description of Types of Electromagnetic Waves

Radio Waves- Are used to transmit radio and television signals. Radio waves have wavelengths that range from less than a centimeter to tens or even hundreds of meters. FM radio waves are shorter than AM radio waves. For example, an FM radio station at 100 on the radio dial (100 megahertz) would have a wavelength of about three meters. An AM station at 750 on the dial (750 kilohertz) uses a wavelength of about 400 meters. Radio waves can also be used to create images. Radio waves with wavelengths of a few centimeters can be transmitted from a satellite or airplane antenna. The reflected waves can be used to form an image of the ground in complete darkness or through clouds. Microwave- wavelengths range from approximately one millimeter (the thickness of a pencil lead) to thirty centimeters (about twelve inches). In a microwave oven, the radio waves generated are tuned to frequencies that can be absorbed by the food. The food absorbs the energy and gets warmer due to the rapidly vibrating molecules within it. The dish holding the food doesn't absorb a significant amount of energy and stays much cooler. Microwaves are emitted from the Earth, from objects such as cars and planes, and from the atmosphere. These microwaves can be detected to give information, such as the temperature of the object that emitted the microwaves.

Infrared- is the region of the electromagnetic spectrum that extends from the visible region to about one millimeter (in wavelength). Infrared waves include thermal radiation. For example, burning charcoal may not give off light, but it does emit infrared radiation which is felt as heat. Infrared radiation can be measured using electronic detectors and has applications in medicine and in finding heat leaks from houses. Infrared images obtained by sensors in satellites and airplanes can yield important information on the health of crops and can help us see forest fires even when they are enveloped in an opaque curtain of smoke.

Visible light- The rainbow of colors we know as visible light is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths between 400 and 700 billionths of a meter (400 to 700 nanometers). It is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we see, and coincides with

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the wavelength of greatest intensity of sunlight. Visible waves have great utility for the remote sensing of vegetation and for the identification of different objects by their visible colors. Ultraviolet- radiation has a range of wavelengths from 400 billionths of a meter to about 10 billionths of a meter. Sunlight contains ultraviolet waves which can burn your skin. Most of these are blocked by ozone in the Earth's upper atmosphere. A small dose of ultraviolet radiation is beneficial to humans, but larger doses cause skin cancer and cataracts. Ultraviolet wavelengths are used extensively in astronomical observatories. Some remote sensing observations of the Earth are also concerned with the measurement of ozone. X-rays- are high energy waves which have great penetrating power and are used extensively in medical applications and in inspecting the body. X-ray images of our Sun can yield important clues to solar flares and other changes on our Sun that can affect space weather. The wavelength range is from about ten billionths of a meter to about 10 trillionths of a meter. Gamma rays- Have wavelengths of less than about ten trillionths of a meter. They are more penetrating than X-rays. Gamma rays are generated by radioactive atoms and in nuclear explosions, and are used in many medical applications. Images of our universe taken in gamma rays have yielded important information on the life and death of stars, and other violent processes in the universe.

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Electromagnetic waves, How They Are Produced and Uses

All electromagnetic waves are produced by accelerating particles; the following is a table on Uses and Application of electromagnetic waves Electromagnetic Wave Major Uses Transmitting information Forming images of stars, planets and galaxies Application

Radio waves are used in radio and TV stations. In radio stations, they are used to emit AM and FM signals into the atmosphere so that they can be picked up by radios and antenna. For televisions the antennae receives a set of electromagnetic radio signals of a specific frequency, and the program that the station is transmitting is displayed on your television screen. Radio waves are also used to create images of far out stars and sometimes used by planes and satellites to produce images from the reflected Radio waves that reflect off the ground after they are emitted from the satellite or plane. Radio waves are also used to establish communications between two communication devices such as cellphones. The wavelengths of these waves are smaller than that of TV and FM/AM radio waves. Because radio waves are larger than optical waves, radio telescopes work differently than telescopes that use visible light to form

Radio waves

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images (optical telescopes). Radio telescopes are dishes made out of conducting metal which reflects radio was to the focus point. The size of these dishes needs to be large, because the wavelengths of the radio waves they are designed to receive are large, so in order for a clear image to be formed the telescopes need to have a wide surface area.
Cooking, Astronomy Transmitting Information

Microwaves are used by astronomers to learn about the structure of nearby galaxy as well as our own Milky Way. Microwaves are used to cook by forcing the fat and water molecules in foot to rotate. The rotation of these molecules releases heat which cooks or warms up the food. Microwaves are a portion or band found at the higher frequency end of the radio spectrum. They are commonly distinguished from radio wave because the technologies used to access them. Different wavelengths of microwaves provide information to scientists and so that they can provide the weather for the weather man.

Microwave

C-band- medium length

microwaves that penetrate through clouds, smoke, dust, rain and even snow to reveal the earths surface. L-band- Microwaves similar to those used in Global
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Positioning Systems (GPS) receiver in our cars can also penetrate the large tree covers in forest to measure the soil moisture or the rain forest. C-band, X-band and Kuband Most communication satellites use these bands to send signals to ground stations on earth. Radar- Microwaves are used in Radio Detection and ranging to detect objects and determine their range or position by transmitting short bursts of microwaves. The strength and origin of the echoes received from the objects that were hit by the microwaves is the recorded for later calculation or range and position of the objects. Passive and Active Remote Sensing Active Remote Sensing: Radar Technology is considered as active sends system when it actively sends microwave pulses and senses (receives) the energy reflected back. Passive Remote Sensing: This type of radar sensing technology refers to sensing of electromagnetic waves that did not originate from the satellite or instrument itself hence, the sensor is simply a passive observer collecting electromagnetic radiation.

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Medicine, Lamps, fast food restaurants, Astronomy, monitoring earth, alarm systems.

Infrared light lies between the visible light part of the spectrum and the microwave part, the wavelengths that are closer to the visible light region are called Near Infrared Light, and those closer to the microwave region are called Far Infrared Light. Near Infrared light are is not hot, we cannot feel them they are used by our TVs remote control to switch channels. Far Infrared Light is thermal; we experience them in the form of heat, example heat from sunlight, radiator and also fires. Far Infrared Light is used to detect body the difference between inside body temperature and outside skin temperature. Another use of Infrared is use in physiotherapy where heat lumps are used to help heal sports injuries. Infrared Detectors are used in burglar alarm systems, to detect the Infrared waves emitted by people and animals intruding.

Infrared

Used to see objects, lasers

Visible light.

Visible Light is used to see our surroundings. Light waves can be made using lasers which are used in DVD/CD players where the light is

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reflected from the tiny pits in the disc. Used in astronomy for observation of stars and galaxies UV rays are in artificial SunTanning businesses. Also in stores and banks for detecting fake money bills. They can also be used in hospitals by doctors to harden dental fillings and kill microbes. They can also be used in hospitals to sterilize surgical equipment. Medicine, hospitals, air ports, fighting crime
X-rays

Ultraviolet

X-rays are very high frequency electromagnetic waves used to view inside objects and materials. They are used to view inside patients body for abnormalities and also by police departments and airports to view inside luggage.

Medicine, Astronomy and Sterilization

Gamma rays

Gamma rays are used in medicine to kill cancer cells in Radiotherapy. Gamma rays can kill microbes and are used to sterilize food so that they have a longer shelf life.

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Receptors
Radiowaves
Antennas

Microwave
Food Molecules

Infrared
Infrared sensitive cameras

Visible light:
Cones in our eyes receive light waves, the color of an object that we see is the color of light reflected and all other colors are absorbed. Camera films Some calculators have detectors on them to act as a recharging device.

Ultraviolet:
Ultraviolet Telescopes Ultraviolet sensitive cameras

X-rays
Photographic films

Gamma rays
Spectrometers

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Dangers of Electromagnetic Radiation

Dangers of Radio Radiation:

Large exposure to radio waves can cause cancer and leukaemia.

Dangers of Microwaves Radiation:

Lengthy exposure to microwaves can cause cataracts in the eyes, which is the clouding of the lens, which prevents a person from seeing clearly. Some research shows that microwaves from mobile phones can also affect parts of the human brain.

Dangers of Infrared Radiation:

Too Much Infrared Radiation is overheating.

Dangers of Visible light Radiation:

Too much light can cause damage to the retina in our eyes.

Dangers of Ultra-Violet Radiation:

Large dosages of UV rays can also cause damage to the retina, sun burn and skin cancer

Dangers of X-ray Radiation:

Cell damage and cancers

Dangers of Gamma Ray Radiation:

Although gamma rays can aid in fighting cancer they can also damage cells and cause different types of cancers

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Bibliography
http://www.darvill.clara.net/emag/emagxray.htm http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves.html http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/light/spectrum.html imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/emspectrum.html http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/uv.html http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/emwaves.htm http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index.html http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081209065721AAP23S8 http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090902113517AAozhNZ

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