Electromagnetic

Spectrum
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Dispersion of light
Properties of electromagnetic waves
Applications of electromagnetic waves

Electromagnetic Spectrum 1
Dispersion of light
Describe the dispersion of light as illustrated by the action on light of a glass prism.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 2
Dispersion of Light
• Dispersion is an effect when a narrow beam of white light
passes through a prism and splits intro a range of colour called
a spectrum.
• Each color from the original beam of light has its own
particular wavelength (or color) and each wavelength is slowed
differently by the glass.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 3
Dispersion of light
State the colours of the spectrum and explain how the colours are related to frequency/wavelength.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 4
• The amount of refraction increases as the wavelength of light
decreases.
• Shorter wavelengths of light (violet and blue) are slowed more
and consequently experience more bending than do the longer
wavelengths (orange and red).

Electromagnetic Spectrum 5
Properties of Electromagnetic Spectrum
State that all electromagnetic waves travel with the same high speed in air and state the magnitude of that speed.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 6
Electromagnetic Waves
• Electromagnetic waves are emitted whenever charged particles
oscillate or lose energy in some way.
• Electromagnetic waves are produced by the simultaneous
vibration of electric and magnetic field.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 7
• Common features of all the electromagnetic waves include;
• All electromagnetic waves are transverse waves
• They can travel through a vacuum.
• They travel through vacuum with the speed of light.
• They all show wave properties like reflection and refraction.
• They obey the wave equation v = f × λ.
• The shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency.
• As the frequency gets higher, the energy increases.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 8
Properties of Electromagnetic Specturm
Describe the main components of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 9
Properties of Electromagnetic Wave
• Radio waves, microwaves, infra-red radiation, visible light,
ultra-violet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays are all member
of electromagnetic waves.
• Each type of radiation is produced and detected in its own
special way.
• The wavelengths of electromagnetic waves range from
extremely short for gamma rays to very long for radio waves.
• The higher the frequency of oscillation, or the greater the
energy changes, the shorter the wavelength of the
electromagnetic waves produced.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 10
Electromagnetic Spectrum 11
Application of Electromagnetic Waves
Discuss the role of radio waves in radio and television communications

Electromagnetic Spectrum 12
Family of Radio Waves
• LW (long wave), MW
(medium wave), SW (short
wave) are used for AM
radio communication.
• VHF (very high
frequency) is used for high
quality FM stereo radio.
• UHF (ultra high
frequency) is used for
television broadcast.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 13
Application of Electromagnetic Waves
Discuss the role of microwaves in satellite television and telephone

Electromagnetic Spectrum 14
Satellite Communication & TV

• Microwaves are used for

satellite communication
and television

Electromagnetic Spectrum 15
Radar Systems

• Radar systems also used

microwaves to find the
direction and distance of
objects.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 16
Microwave Oven

• Microwaves is used for

cooking as its
wavelength are very
strongly absorb by water
molecule

Electromagnetic Spectrum 17
 Rain disrupts Satellite TV?

Electromagnetic Spectrum 18
Application of Electromagnetic Waves
Discuss the role of infra-red in household electrical appliances, television controllers and intruder alarms

Electromagnetic Spectrum 19
Electrical Appliances

• When radiant heater is

switched on, you can
detect the infrared
radiation coming from it
by the heating effect it
produces in your skin.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 20
Remote Control

• The remote unit

communicates with the
appliance via infra-red
pulses which is
produced by light
emitting diodes (LED)

Electromagnetic Spectrum 21
Intruder Alarms

• The alarm system can be

switched on by motion
sensors that pick up the
changing pattern of
infrared caused by an
approaching person

Electromagnetic Spectrum 22
Application of Electromagnetic Waves
Discuss the role of light in optical fibres for medical uses and telephone

Electromagnetic Spectrum 23
Optical Fibre

• An endoscope is a
flexible fibre optic cable
through which internal
cavities can be viewed.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 24
Optical Fibre

• For long distance

transmission, telephone
network use optical
fibres that can carry
digital signals in the
form of pulses of light.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 25
Application of Electromagnetic Waves
Discuss the role of ultra-violet in sunbeds, fluorescent tubes and sterilisation.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 26
Sunbed
• Our skin responds to
ultraviolet radiation by
turning darker.
• Darker skins absorb more
ultraviolet light, so less
ultraviolet radiation
reaches the deeper tissues.
• Ultraviolet radiation can
cause normal cells to
become cancerous.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 27
Fluorescent tubes
• In fluorescent lamps, the
inside of the tube is coated
with a white powder
which gives off light when
its absorbs ultraviolet.
• The ultraviolet is
produced by passing an
electric current through
the gas (mercury vapour)
in the tube

Electromagnetic Spectrum 28
Sterilising

• Ultraviolet is also used

in sterilizing equipment
to kill bacteria and
viruses.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 29
Application of Electromagnetic Waves
Discuss the role of X-rays in hospital use for medical imaging and killing cancerous cells, and engineering applications such as detecting cracks in
metal

Electromagnetic Spectrum 30
Medical Imaging

• X-ray is emitted when a

beam of electrons hits a
metal target.
• They can pass through
flesh but not bone. So
bones will show up on
an X-ray photograph.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 31
Radiation Treatment

• X rays can stop the

growth of cells and even
destroy them altogether.
• They are used to destroy
tumors and also
treatment of leukemia.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 32
Detecting Cracks
• X-rays are directed at
the item to be tested so
that they pass through it
and captured an image
on a film.
• The film is processed
showing a series of grey
shades which will show
any defects.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 33
Application of Electromagnetic Waves
Discuss the role of gamma rays – medical treatment in killing cancerous cells, and engineering applications such as detecting cracks in metal.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 34
Radiation Treatment
• Gamma rays damage cells
whether they are normal
or cancerous.
• A wide beam of gamma
rays are rotate around the
patient, keeping the
tumour at the centre.
• This concentrates the
gamma rays on the cells
that need to be killed.
Electromagnetic Spectrum 35
Detecting Cracks
• When photographic film
is exposed to gamma-
rays a 'latent image' is
produced in film
emulsion.
• The areas so exposed
become darker when the
film is immersed in a
developing solution.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 36
 Radiation Wavelength / m Uses
Radio wave 10-1 - 105 1. Radio and television communication
Microwave 10-3 – 10-1 1. Satellite television
2. mobile phone networks
Infra-red 10-7 – 10-3 1. Remote control of electrical appliances
rays 2. Intruder alarm
3. Radiant heater
Visible light 10-7 1. Optical fibres for medical uses and
telecommunications
Ultra-violet 10-8 – 10-7 1. Sun beds
rays 2. Sterilisation
3. Fluorescence effect
X-rays 10-13 – 10-8 1. Medical /dental inspections
2. Checking cracks
3. Treatment of cancer
Gamma rays 10-14 – 10-10 1. Treatment of cancer
2. Checking welds

Electromagnetic Spectrum 37
1. One of the effects of passing a ray of white light through a
prism is to split the light into colours.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 38
1. What is the name given to this effect?
A. deviation
B. dispersion
C. reflection
D. refraction

Electromagnetic Spectrum 39
2. Light rays are deviated by a prism.

3. The deviation angle d is measured for light rays of different

frequency, including blue light and red light.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 40
1. Which graph is correct?

Electromagnetic Spectrum 41
3. Which diagram correctly shows the dispersion of white light
by a glass prism?

C
Electromagnetic Spectrum 42
4. The diagram shows the spectrum produced when white light
is dispersed by a glass prism.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 43
1. What are the numbered visible colours?

Electromagnetic Spectrum 44
5. A spectrum is formed when white light passes through a
prism.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 45
1. In which position are the colours green, red and yellow seen?

Electromagnetic Spectrum 46
6. Which colour, red or blue, has the higher frequency and
which has the longer wavelength?

Electromagnetic Spectrum 47
7. When white light is dispersed by a prism, compared with blue
light, the red light is
A. slowed down less and refracted less.
B. slowed down less and refracted more.
C. slowed down more and refracted less.
D. slowed down more and refracted more.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 48
8. Which diagram shows the dispersion of white light?

C
Electromagnetic Spectrum 49
9. Which wave is part of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Electromagnetic Spectrum 50
10. Which statement is true for all electromagnetic waves?
A. They are longitudinal.
B. They can be seen.
C. They have the same frequency in air.
D. They travel at the same speed in a vacuum.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 51
11. Which group contains only transverse waves?
A. infra-red waves, light waves, sound waves
B. infra-red waves, light waves, ultra-violet waves
C. infra-red waves, ultra-violet waves, sound waves
D. light waves, sound waves, ultra-violet waves

Electromagnetic Spectrum 52
12. The diagram represents some of the main parts of the
electromagnetic spectrum.

13. What are the numbered parts?

B
Electromagnetic Spectrum 53
13. Radio waves, visible light and X-rays are all part of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
14. What is the correct order of increasing wavelength?

Electromagnetic Spectrum 54
14. Which type of radiation lies between visible light and
microwaves in the electromagnetic spectrum?
A. infra-red
B. radio waves
C. ultra-violet
D. X-rays

Electromagnetic Spectrum 55
15. Light from the Sun passes through a prism and a spectrum is
produced on a screen.

Electromagnetic Spectrum 56
1. A thermometer placed at P shows a large temperature rise.
2. Which type of radiation causes this?
A. infra-red
B. microwave
C. ultra-violet
D. visible light

Electromagnetic Spectrum 57
16. Which does not normally use infra-red radiation?
A. electric grill
B. intruder alarm
C. television remote controller
D. sunbed

Electromagnetic Spectrum 58
17. Which type of wave is used to send telephone signals to and
from a satellite?
A. infra-red waves
B. light waves
C. microwaves
D. sound waves

Electromagnetic Spectrum 59