Electromagnetic Waves &

the Electromagnetic Spectrum

The Nature of Light
The electromagnetic spectrum includes many
different types of radiation.
Visible light accounts for only a small part of
the spectrum
Other familiar forms include: radio waves,
microwaves, X rays
All forms of light travel in waves
Electromagnetic Spectrum

Figure 06.01Figure 06.01

Copyright McGraw-Hill 2009 3

Electromagnetic Waves
Transverse waves without a
medium!
(They can travel through empty
space)
They travel as vibrations in
electrical and magnetic fields.
Have some magnetic and some
electrical properties to them.
When an electric field changes, so does the
magnetic field. The changing magnetic field
causes the electric field to change. When one
field vibrates—so does the other.

RESULT-An electromagnetic wave.

 Electromagnetic waves travel
VERY FAST – around 300,000
kilometres per second (the
speed of light).
At this speed they
can go around the
world 8 times in one
second.
Waves or Particles?
 Electromagnetic radiation has properties of
waves but also can be thought of as a stream
of particles.
 Example: Light
 Light as a wave: Light behaves as a transverse
wave which we can filter using polarized lenses.
 Light as particles (photons): When directed at a
substance light can knock electrons off of a
substance (Photoelectric effect)
Electromagnetic range of
electromagnetic waves when placed in
order of increasing frequency

ULTRAVIOLET GAMMA
RADIO INFRARED
RAYS RAYS
WAVES RAYS
MICROWAVES VISIBLE LIGHT X-RAYS
 wavelength is
long (Radio waves) and gets shorter (Gamma
Rays)
Wave Characteristics
Wavelength: (lambda) distance
between identical points on successive
waves…peaks or troughs
Frequency:(nu) number of waves that
pass a particular point in one second
Amplitude: the vertical distance from the
midline of waves to the top of the peak or
the bottom of the trough

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Wave Characteristics
Wave properties are mathematically related
as:
c = 
where
c = 2.99792458 x 108 m/s (speed of light)
 = wavelength (in meters, m)
 = frequency (reciprocal seconds, s1)

Copyright McGraw-Hill 2009 13

6.2 Quantum Theory
1900 - Max Planck
Radiant energy could only be emitted or
absorbed in discrete quantities
Quantum: packets of energy
Correlated data from blackbody
experiment to his quantum theory
According to this theory energy is
quantized.

Copyright McGraw-Hill 2009 14

Quantum Theory
Energy of a single quantum of energy

where E h
E = energy (in Joules)
h = Planck’s constant 6.63 x 10 34 J s
 = frequency

Copyright McGraw-Hill 2009 15

 Photoelectric Effect
Electrons ejected from a metal’s surface
when exposed to light of certain frequency
Einstein proposed that particles of light
are really photons (packets of light
energy) and deduced that
Ephoton = h

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Only light with a frequency of photons
such that h equals the energy that binds
the electrons in the metal is sufficiently
energetic to eject electrons.
If light of higher frequency is used,
electrons will be ejected and will leave the
metal with additional kinetic energy.
Light of at least the threshold frequency
and of greater intensity will eject more
electrons.
Light must have particle characteristics as
well as wave characteristics

Copyright McGraw-Hill 2009 17

 Electromagnetic radiation interaction with matter

Electromagnetic radiation interaction with matter

Region of the spectrum Main interactions with matter

Collective oscillation of charge carriers in bulk material (plasma oscillation). An

Radio
example would be the oscillatory travels of the electrons in an antenna.

Microwave through far infrared Plasma oscillation, molecular rotation

Near infrared Molecular vibration, plasma oscillation (in metals only)

Molecular electron excitation (including pigment molecules found in the human

Visible
retina), plasma oscillations (in metals only)

Excitation of molecular and atomic valence electrons, including ejection of the

Ultraviolet
electrons (photoelectric effect)

Excitation and ejection of core atomic electrons, Compton scattering (for low
X-rays
atomic numbers)

Energetic ejection of core electrons in heavy elements, Compton scattering (for all
Gamma rays
atomic numbers), excitation of atomic nuclei, including dissociation of nuclei

Creation of particle-antiparticle pairs. At very high energies a single photon can

High-energy gamma rays create a shower of high-energy particles and antiparticles upon interaction with
matter.
RADIO WAVES
Have the
longest
wavelengths
and lowest
frequencies of
all the
electromagnetic
waves.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) measure the
time it takes a radio wave to travel from
several satellites to the receiver, determining
the distance to each satellite.
A radio picks up radio waves through
an antenna and converts it to sound
waves.
Each radio station in an area broadcasts at a
different frequency.
 # on radio dial tells frequency.
 MRI
(MAGNETIC RESONACE IMAGING)
Uses Short wave radio waves with a
magnet to create an image.
MICROWAVES
Have the
shortest
wavelengths
and the highest
frequency of
the radio
waves.
Used in
microwave
ovens.
Waves transfer
energy to the
water in the food
causing them to
vibrate which in
turn transfers
energy in the
form of heat to
the food.
RADAR (Radio
Detection and
Ranging)
 Used to find the speed
of an object by sending
out radio waves and
measuring the time it
takes them to return.
INFRARED RAYS
Infrared=
below red
Shorter
wavelength
and higher
frequency
than
microwaves.
 You can feel
the longest
ones as warmth
on your skin
Warm objects
give off more
heat energy than
cool objects.
 Thermogram—a picture that shows regions of
different temperatures in the body. Temperatures are
calculated by the amount of infrared radiation given
off.
Heat lamps give off
Therefore people give
infrared waves.
off infrared rays.
VISIBLE LIGHT
Shorter wavelength and
higher frequency than
infrared rays.
Electromagnetic waves
we can see.
Longest wavelength=
red light
Shortest wavelength=
violet (purple) light
 When light
enters a new
medium it bends
(refracts). Each
wavelength
bends a different
amount allowing
white light to
separate into it’s
various colors
ROYGBIV.
ULTRAVIOLET RAYS
Shorter
wavelength
and higher
frequency than
visible light
Carry more
energy than
visible light
Used to kill
bacteria.
(Sterilization
of
equipment)
 Too much can cause skin
cancer.
Use sun block to protect against
(UV rays)
Causes your
skin to
produce
vitamin D
(good for
teeth and
bones)
X- RAYS
Shorter
wavelength
and higher
frequency than
UV-rays
Carry a great
amount of
energy
Can penetrate
most matter.
Bones and teeth absorb x-rays. (The light
part of an x-ray image indicates a place
where the x-ray was absorbed)
 Too much
exposure can
cause cancer
(lead vest at
dentist protects
organs from
unnecessary
exposure)
Used by engineers
to check for tiny
cracks in
structures.
The rays pass
through the
cracks and the
cracks appear
dark on film.
GAMMA RAYS
Shorter wavelength
and higher
frequency than X-
rays
Carry the greatest
amount of energy
and penetrate the
most.
 Used in radiation treatment
to kill cancer cells.
Can be very harmful if not used
correctly.
The Incredible
Hulk was the
victim of
gamma
radiation.
Exploding
nuclear
weapons emit
gamma rays.
 Brief SUMMARY
A. All electromagnetic waves travel at the
same speed. (300,000,000 meters/second) in a
vacuum.
B. They all have different wavelengths and
different frequencies.
Long wavelength-lowest frequency
Short wavelength highest frequency
The higher the frequency the higher the
energy.
Introduction to Spectroscopy:
A technique called spectroscopy can be used to
physically separate waves of different
frequencies, producing a spectrum showing the
constituent frequencies.
Spectroscopy is used to study the interactions
of electromagnetic wave with matter.
Spectroscopy is based on the interaction of
Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) with a
molecule. Spectroscopy monitors the changes
in energy states of a molecule,
Therefore the concepts of the following are
important for the understanding of
spectroscopy.
Electromagnetic Radiation
Important energy states within a molecule
Quantisation of Energy
Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)
The visible light of electromagnetic radiation is
very important in understanding the concept of
electromagnetic radiation.
Examples:
 Wave-like properties:
It is important to understand wavelength, l ,and frequency, n, and
how they relate to each other : c = l n (c = speed of light)

 Particle-like properties:
A particle of energy is called a photon.
Each photon has a discrete amount of energy : a quantum, E = h n =
hc/l
(h = Planck's constant)
Energy States

There are many energy 'states' in a molecule.

Of particular interest to the organic chemist
will be those relating to the energy associated
with the nuclear spin state, the vibration of a
bond or an electronic energy levels (orbitals)
Quantisation of Energy

 The absorption of energy

causes an atom or
molecule to go from an
initial energy state (the
ground state) to another
higher energy state (an
excited state). The energy
changes are frequently
described using an energy
level diagram. The
energy states are said to
be quantised because
there are only certain
discrete values that are
possible, there is not a
continuous spread of
energy levels available.