ELECTROMAGNETIC

WAVES
WAVING BACK!
What is a wave?

What are the 2

types of waves?
Review
Crest
wavelength
Amplitude
(+)
Trough
Amplitude (-)
Frequency
Rest position
Review
1.Draw a transverse wave. Label the parts of the
wave. (Crest, Trough, Wavelength, Amplitude)
2. Draw an EM wave with low frequency.
3.Draw an EM wave with high frequency.
Types of wave

Does not need matter to

transfer energy
 ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

ELECTRICITY MAGNETISM
ELECTROMAGNETISM

-The relationship of electricity and

magnetism
-The interaction of electric currents
or fields and magnetic fields.
 Electromagnetism

- Electricity and magnetism are different

facets of electromagnetism
- a moving electric charge produces magnetic
fields
- changing magnetic fields move electric charges
- This connection was first elucidated by
Faraday and Maxwell
 Electromagnetis
m
Michael Faraday – discovered
electromagnetic induction,
the generation of electricity
in a wire utilizing the
electromagnetic effect of a
current in another wire –the
first electric transformer.
Electromagnetism

James Clerk Maxwell – Father of

electromagnetism.
Discovered that the electric
field and magnetic field travel
through space as waves moving
in a speed of light.
Electromagnetis
m
- Heinrich Hertz –
demonstrated the
prediction of James
Clerk Maxwell in the
existence of
Electromagnetic waves.
The Electromagnetic
Connection
- A changing magnetic field produces an
electric field, and a changing electric
field produces a magnetic field.
- Electric and Magnetic fields can
produce forces on charges

Spring 2008 13
EM waves are made by vibrating electric
charges and can travel through space by
transferring energy between vibrating
electric and magnetic fields.
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.
What is the speed of EM waves?

- All EM waves travel 300,000 Material Speed

(km/s)
km/sec in space. (speed of Vacuum 300,000
light-nature’s limit!) Air <300,000
- EM waves usually travel Water 226,000

slowest in solids and fastest Glass 200,000

in gases. Diamond 124,000

 - Electromagnetic waves travel VERY
FAST – around 300,000 kilometres per
second (the speed of light).

They can go around the

world 8 times in one
second at this speed.
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.
- Electromagnetic Spectrum—name for
the range of electromagnetic waves
when placed in order of increasing
ULTRAVIOLET GAMMA
frequency
RADIO INFRARED
RAYS
WAVES RAYS RAYS

MICROWAVES VISIBLE LIGHT X-RAYS

 Notice the wavelength is
long (Radio waves) and gets shorter (Gamma
Rays)
seatwork
1. Arrange the following EM waves from highest to lowest
frequency: visible light, gamma rays, x-rays, infrared
waves, ultraviolet rays, microwaves, and radio
waves.
2. Arrange the following EM waves from shortest
to longest wavelength.
visible light, gamma rays, x-rays, infrared waves,
ultraviolet rays, microwaves, and radio waves.
Enrichment activity

Q1. Which electromagnetic wave has the longest wavelength?

____________________________________________________________________________
_
Q2. Which electromagnetic wave has the shortest wavelength?
____________________________________________________________________________
_
Q3. Observe what happens to the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves
as they progress (goes rightward from the figure). Does the wavelength of
the EM waves increase or decrease as we go from radio waves to gamma-
ray?
Enrichment activity 2

Q1. Which among the EM waves has the highest frequency?

________________________________________
Q2. Which among the EM waves has the lowest frequency?
_________________________________
Q3. The energy of an EM wave also depends on its frequency, which means waves with
higher frequency have higher energy too. Which among the EM waves has the highest
energy? _________________________________________________________
Q4. Which among the EM waves has the lowest energy?
_________________________________________
Q5. What happens to the frequency of the electromagnetic waves as they progress? Does
the frequency of the EM waves increase or decrease as we go from radio waves to gamma-
ray? ___________________________
Seatwork

In each of the following pairs, circle the

form of radiation with the LONGER
WAVELENGTH:
a. red light or blue light
b. microwaves or radio waves
c. infrared radiation or red light
d. gamma rays or UV radiation
In each of the following pairs, circle
the form of radiation with the
GREATER FREQUENCY:
a. yellow light or green light
b. x-rays or gamma rays
c. UV radiation or violet light
d. AM radio waves or FM radio waves
In each of the following pairs, circle the form of
radiation with the LOWER ENERGY:
a. red light or blue light
b. microwaves or radio waves
c. infrared radiation or red light
d. gamma rays or UV radiation
e. yellow light or green light
f. x-rays or gamma rays
g. UV radiation or violet light
Wave measurement

What is the wavelength (in meters) of

the electromagnetic carrier wave
transmitted by The Sports Fan radio
station at 640 Hz?
Wavelength and frequency

1. Violet light has a wavelength of 4.10 x 10 -12 m.

What is the frequency?
2.What is the wavelength of X-rays
having a frequency of 4.80 x 1017
Hz?
3. Calculate the wavelength of radiation
with a frequency of 8.0 x 1014 Hz.