EM waves

Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays are all examples of electromagnetic radiation. All of these waves are a component of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes radio and television waves. Electromagnetic waves, also known as EM waves, are waves that are produced as a result of vibration of charged particles  between an electric field and a magnetic field, also known as electromagnetic induction. To put it another way, electromagnetic waves are made up of oscillating magnetic and electric fields.

Em waves 

If the source of the electric field is changing, then the source of the magnetic field is also changing, and vice versa, an electromagnetic wave is produced by an accelerating or oscillatory charge. The result is that two fields become sources of each other’s waves, and the wave propagates in a path perpendicular to both fields. Electromagnetic waves have a transverse nature, which means that the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to one other and to the direction of wave propagation, respectively. Electric and magnetic fields have no effect on the propagation of electromagnetic waves.

What are the 7 EM waves?

Electromagnetic radiation has a huge range of wavelengths and frequencies, which makes it extremely versatile. According to the University of California at Riverside, this range is referred to as the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum is commonly divided into seven zones, which are numbered from lowest wavelength to highest energy and frequency in descending order. Radio waves, microwaves, infrared (IR), visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, X-rays, and gamma-rays are all terms that are commonly used to describe electromagnetic waves.

Radio waves 

Radio waves are utilised for a variety of purposes, including the wireless delivery of sound messages or information, communication, and nautical and aviation navigation. Depending on the mode of transmission, the information is applied to the electromagnetic carrier wave as amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or digital format (pulse modulation). As a result, the transmission does not include a single-frequency electromagnetic wave but rather a frequency range whose width is proportionate to the amount of information being transmitted. For telephones, the width is approximately 10,000 hertz, for high-fidelity sound, it is 20,000 hertz, and for high-definition television, it is five megahertz (MHz = one million hertz). This width, together with the loss in efficiency of creating electromagnetic waves as the frequency of the waves decreases, results in a lower frequency limit for radio waves of approximately 10,000 Hz.

Microwaves 

Microwaves are the major carriers of high-speed data communications between stations on Earth and also between ground-based stations and satellites and space probes. A system of synchronous satellites about 36,000 km above Earth is utilised for international broadband of all kinds of communications—e.g., television and telephone. Parabolic dish antennas are used in both microwave broadcasters and receivers. Microwave beams are produced by them, and the spreading angle of the beams is proportional to the ratio of the wavelength of the constituent waves to the diameter of the dish. As a result, the beams can be guided like a searchlight. Radar beams are made up of brief bursts of microwave energy. The distance between an airplane or a ship can be determined by measuring the time it takes for a radar pulse to travel to the object and then return to the radar dish antenna after reflection.

Infrared 

Infrared radiation, often known as infrared light, is a type of electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths that are longer than the wavelengths of visible light. As a result, it is imperceptible to the human eye. The infrared spectrum is widely thought to include wavelengths ranging from around 1 millimetre to the notional red end of the visible spectrum, which is approximately 700 nanometers.

Visible light 

The visible spectrum refers to the section of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye, which includes the visible light spectrum. Visible light, or simply light, is the term used to describe electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in this range. A typical human eye will respond to wavelengths ranging from approximately 380 nanometers to approximately 750 nanometers.

Ultraviolet light 

Ultraviolet radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength ranging from 10 nm to 400 nm, which is shorter than the wavelength of visible light but longer than the wavelength of X-rays. UV radiation can be found in sunlight and accounts for around 10% of the total electromagnetic energy emitted by the Sun.

X-rays 

An X-ray, also known as X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation that may penetrate solid objects. The wavelength of most X-rays is in the range of 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, which corresponds to frequencies in the range of 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energy in the range of 145eV to 124 keV, respectively.

Gamma – rays 

Gamma rays are a type of electromagnetic energy that exists throughout the universe (EMR). They are quite similar to X-rays, with the only difference being that they are emitted from an excited nucleus rather than a neutral nucleus. Electric and magnetic radiation can be characterised as a stream of photons, which are massless particles that flow in a wave-like pattern at the speed of light and are responsible for the transmission of electromagnetic radiation. Each photon contains a specific amount (or bundle) of energy, and all electromagnetic radiation is made up of photons of various sizes and shapes. Photons from gamma rays have the most energy in the electromagnetic spectrum and the shortest wavelength of all the waves.

Conclusion 

Electromagnetic waves are waves that are produced as a result of vibrations between an electric field and a magnetic field. In a vacuum, electromagnetic waves have a constant velocity of 3.00 x 108 ms-1, which is the speed of light. They are not deflected by the electric field or the magnetic field and are not affected by either. Radio waves, microwaves, infrared (IR), visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, X-rays, and gamma-rays are all terms that are commonly used to describe electromagnetic waves. The transmission does not include a single frequency but rather a frequency range whose width is proportionate to the amount of information being transmitted.

The infrared spectrum is thought to include wavelengths ranging from around 1 millimetre to 700 nanometers. This is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. The typical human eye will respond to wavelengths between 380 nanometers and 750 nanometers, for example.