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Lesson Note - ELectromagnetic Waves

This document discusses electromagnetic waves and the electromagnetic spectrum. It explains that white light is made up of different color wavelengths that disperse when passed through a prism. The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses a wide range of phenomena including visible light, radio waves, microwaves and more. It divides the spectrum into regions based on wavelength and frequency, listing the main regions from radio waves to gamma rays and some of their applications.

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14 views

Lesson Note - ELectromagnetic Waves

This document discusses electromagnetic waves and the electromagnetic spectrum. It explains that white light is made up of different color wavelengths that disperse when passed through a prism. The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses a wide range of phenomena including visible light, radio waves, microwaves and more. It divides the spectrum into regions based on wavelength and frequency, listing the main regions from radio waves to gamma rays and some of their applications.

Uploaded by

yashmiganegoda13
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LESSON NOTE
ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVESTIC WAVES

Mrs. Sakunika Perera


MSc (Physics Education)
BSc (Physics Special)
University of Colombo
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Dispersion of Light
White light is a mixture of may colours of different frequencies. When white
light is passed through a glass prism it splits into its spectrum of (constituent)
colours. This process is known as dispersion.

This separation occurs because different colors of light have slightly different
speeds when traveling through a material (but have the same speed in air),
causing them to refract or bend at different angles.

The phenomenon of dispersion is also responsible for the formation of


rainbows. When sunlight passes through water droplets in the atmosphere,
the different wavelengths of light are refracted and reflected inside the
droplets, producing the familiar band of colors.

Dispersion is an essential concept in optics and has various applications. For


example, it is utilized in spectrometry to analyze the composition of
substances based on the specific wavelengths of light they absorb or emit. It
is also a crucial factor in the design of optical instruments such as lenses and
prisms.
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Electromagnetic Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum refers to the entire range of electromagnetic
waves of transverse, which are a form of energy that travels through space in
the form of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. These waves have different
frequencies and wavelengths but travel at the same speed in air (3.0 x 108
m/s), and they encompass a wide range of phenomena, including visible light,
radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and
gamma rays.

The electromagnetic spectrum is typically divided into different regions based


on the wavelength or frequency of the waves. Here are the main regions of
the electromagnetic spectrum, listed in order of increasing frequency and
decreasing wavelength:

Applications of EM Waves
communication, including radio broadcasting, television
Radio Waves
signals, and wireless networks.
used in microwave ovens, radar systems, satellite
Microwaves communication, and some wireless technologies like
mobile (cell) phone, Bluetooth.
associate with heat and is used in various applications,
Infrared
such as thermal imaging, remote controls, optical fibres
Radiation (IR)
and infrared spectroscopy.
Visible Light Vision and photography
It is present in sunlight and is responsible for causing
Ultraviolet (UV) sunburns. UV light is used in applications like sterilization,
fluorescence, and some types of microscopy.
medical imaging, such as X-ray radiography and CT scans,
X-rays
as well as in industrial and scientific applications.
They are produced in nuclear reactions and radioactive
Gamma Rays decay. Gamma rays are used in medical imaging, cancer
treatment, and various research applications.

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