Electromagnetic

Waves
What are electromagnetic waves?

 How electromagnetic waves are formed

 How electric charges produce
electromagnetic waves
 Properties of electromagnetic waves
Electromagnetic Waves…
 Do not need matter to transfer energy.
Electromagnetic Waves…
 Do not need matter to transfer energy.
 Are made by vibrating electric charges and
can travel through space by transferring
energy between vibrating electric and
magnetic fields.
How do moving charges create
magnetic fields?
 Any moving electric charge is surrounded by an
electric field and a magnetic field.
What happens when electric and
magnetic fields change?
 A changing magnetic field creates a
changing electric field.
What happens when electric and
magnetic fields change?
 A changing magnetic field creates a
changing electric field.
 One example of this is a transformer which
transfers electric energy from one circuit to
another circuit.
What happens when electric and
magnetic fields change?
 A changing magnetic field creates a changing
electric field.
 One example of this is a transformer which
transfers electric energy from one circuit to
another circuit.
 Inthe main coil changing electric current produces a
changing magnetic field
 Which then creates a changing electric field in
another coil producing an electric current
 The reverse is also true.
Making Electromagnetic Waves
 When an electric charge vibrates, the electric
field around it changes creating a changing
magnetic field.
Making Electromagnetic Waves
 The magnetic and electric fields create each
other again and again.
Making Electromagnetic Waves
 An EM wave travels in all directions. The figure
only shows a wave traveling in one direction.
Making Electromagnetic Waves
 The electric and magnetic fields vibrate at right
angles to the direction the wave travels so it is a
transverse wave.
Properties of EM Waves
 All matter contains charged particles that
are always moving; therefore, all objects
emit EM waves.
Properties of EM Waves
 All matter contains charged particles that
are always moving; therefore, all objects
emit EM waves.
 The wavelengths become shorter as the
temperature of the material increases.
Properties of EM Waves
 All matter contains charged particles that
are always moving; therefore, all objects
emit EM waves.
 The wavelengths become shorter as the
temperature of the material increases.
 EM waves carry radiant energy.
What is the speed of EM waves?

 All EM waves travel

300,000 km/sec in
space. (speed of light-
nature’s limit!)
What is the speed of EM waves?

 All EM waves travel Material Speed

300,000 km/sec in (km/s)
space. (speed of light- Vacuum 300,000
nature’s limit!)
Air <300,000
 EM waves usually
travel slowest in Water 226,000
solids and fastest in
Glass 200,000
gases.
Diamond 124,000
What is the wavelength &
frequency of an EM wave?
 Wavelength= distance from crest
to crest.
 What is the wavelength & frequency of an EM
wave?
 Frequency= number of wavelengths that
pass a given point in 1 s.
 Waves with a higher frequency have crests
that are closer together, so higher frequency
waves have shorter wavelengths
 a higher-frequency wave has more energy
than a lower-frequency wave
What is the wavelength &
frequency of an EM wave?
 Wavelength= distance from crest to crest.
 Frequency= number of wavelengths that
pass a given point in 1 s.
 As frequency increases, wavelength
becomes….
What is the wavelength &
frequency of an EM wave?
 Wavelength= distance from crest to crest.
 Frequency= number of wavelengths that
pass a given point in 1 s.
 As frequency increases, wavelength
becomes smaller.
 Electromagnetic Waves

How they are formed Kind of wave Sometimes behave as

 Electromagnetic Waves

How they are formed Kind of wave Sometimes behave as

Waves made by Transverse with Waves or as
vibrating electric alternating electric
Particles (photons)
charges that can and magnetic fields
travel through space
where there is no
matter
Electromagnetic
Waves
Section 2 The
Electromagnetic Spectrum
The whole range of EM wave…
 Frequencies is called the
electromagnetic spectrum.
The whole range of EM wave…
 Frequencies is called the
electromagnetic spectrum.
 Different parts interact with matter in
different ways.
The whole range of EM wave…
 Frequencies is called the
electromagnetic spectrum.
 Different parts interact with matter in
different ways.
 The ones humans can see are called
visible light, a small part of the whole
spectrum.
As wavelength decreases,
frequency increases…
Devices detect other frequencies:

 Antennae of a radio detects radio waves.

Devices detect other frequencies:

 Antennae of a radio detects radio waves.

 Radio waves are low frequency EM
waves with wavelengths longer than 1mm.
Devices detect other frequencies:

 Antennae of a radio detects radio waves.

 Radio waves are low frequency EM
waves with wavelengths longer than 1mm.
 These waves must be turned into sound
waves by a radio before you can hear
them.
What are microwaves?
 Microwaves are radio waves with
wavelengths less than 30 cm and higher
frequency & shorter wavelength.
What are microwaves?
 Microwaves are radio waves with
wavelengths less than 30 cm and higher
frequency & shorter wavelength.
 Cell phones and satellites use microwaves
between 1 cm & 20 cm for communication.
What are microwaves?
 Microwaves are radio waves with wavelengths
less than 30 cm and higher frequency & shorter
wavelength.
 Cell phones and satellites use microwaves
between 1 cm & 20 cm for communication.
 In microwave ovens, a vibrating electric field
causes water molecules to rotate billions of
times per second causing friction, creating TE
which heats the food.
How does radar work?
 Radio Detecting And Ranging or radar is
used to find position and speed of objects
by bouncing radio waves off the object.
What is magnetic resonance
imaging?
 MRI was developed in the 1980s to use
radio waves to diagnose illnesses with a
strong magnet and a radio wave emitter
and a receiver. Protons in H atoms of the
body act like magnets lining up with the
field. This releases energy which the
receiver detects and creates a map of the
body’s tissues.
Infrared Waves
 EM with wavelengths between 1mm & 750
billionths of a meter.
 Used daily in remote controls, to read CD-
ROMs
 Every objects gives off infrared waves;
hotter objects give off more than cooler
ones. Satellites can ID types of plants
growing in a region with infrared detectors
Visible Light
 Range of EM humans can see from 750
billionths to 00 billionths of a meter.
 You see different wavelengths as colors.
 Blue has shortest
 Red is the longest
 Light looks white if all colors are present
A range of frequencies
In order of increasing frequency and
decreasing wavelength, the EM
spectrum consists of: very long
wave radio, used for
communication with submarines;
long, medium and short wave
radio (used for AM broadcasting);
FM radio, television and radar;
infra-red (heat) radiation, which is
recorded in the Earth photographs
taken by survey satellites; visible
light; ultraviolet light, which, while
invisible, stimulates fluorescence
in some materials; x rays &
gamma rays used in medicine and
released in radioactive decay
Ultraviolet Waves
 EM waves with wavelengths from about
400 billionths to 10 billionths of a meter.
 Have enough energy to enter skin cells
 Longer wavelengths – UVA
 Shorter wavelengths – UVB rays
 Both can cause skin cancer
Can UV radiation be useful?
 Helps body make vitamin D for healthy
bones and teeth
 Used to sterilize medical supplies & equip
 Detectives use fluorescent powder
(absorbs UV & glows) to find fingerprints
What is the ozone layer?
 20-50 km above earth
 Molecule of 3 O atoms
 Absorbs Sun’s harmful
UV rays
 Ozone layer
decreasing due to
CFCs in AC,
refrigerators, &
cleaning fluids
What could happen to humans…

 And other life on Earth if the ozone layer is

destroyed?
X Rays and Gamma Rays
 EM waves with
shortest wavelength &
highest frequency
 High Energy- go
through skin & muscle
 High level exposure
causes cancer
X Rays and Gamma Rays
 EM with wavelengths  The composite image
shorter than 10 shows the all sky
trillionths of a meter. gamma ray
 Highest energy, can background.
travel through several
centimeters of lead.
 Both can be used in
radiation therapy to
kill diseased cells.
Identify which statement is not true:

 A. Gamma rays are low frequency waves.

 B. X rays are high-energy waves.
 C. Gamma rays are used to treat
diseases.
Why do you think MRIs cause ...
 Less harm than X rays?