ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

Classically, electromagnetic radiation consists of electromagnetic waves, which are

synchronized oscillations of electric and magnetic fields that propagate at the speed of
lightthrough a vacuum. The oscillations of the two fields are perpendicular to each other
and perpendicular to the direction of energy and wave propagation, forming a transverse
wave. The wavefront of electromagnetic waves emitted from a point source (such as a
lightbulb) is a sphere. The position of an electromagnetic wave within
the electromagnetic spectrum could be characterized by either its frequency of oscillation
or its wavelength. The electromagnetic spectrum includes, in order of increasing
frequency and decreasing wavelength: radio waves, microwaves, infrared
radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays.
Uses:
Electromagnetic waves are used to transmit long/short/FM wavelength radio waves, and
TV/telephone/wireless signals or energies. They are also responsible for transmiting
energy in the form of microwaves, infrared radiation (IR), visible light (VIS), ultraviolet
light (UV), X-rays, and gamma rays.

ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY
Electromagnetic Theory covers the basic principles of electromagnetism: experimental
basis, electrostatics, magnetic fields of steady currents, motional e.m.f. and
electromagnetic induction, Maxwell's equations, propagation and radiation of
electromagnetic waves, electric and magnetic properties of matter, and conservation laws.
This is a graduate level subject which uses appropriate mathematics but whose emphasis
is on physical phenomena and principles.

RADIO WAVES
Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in
the electromagnetic spectrum longer than infrared light. Radio waves have frequencies as
high as 300 GHz to as low as 3 kHz, though some definitions describe waves above 1 or
3 GHz as microwaves, or include waves of any lower frequency. At 300 GHz, the
corresponding wavelength is 1 mm (0.039 in), and at 3 kHz is 100 km (62 mi). Like all
other electromagnetic waves, they travel at the speed of light. Naturally occurring radio
waves are generated by lightning, or by astronomical objects.
Artificially generated radio waves are used for fixed and mobile radio
communication, broadcasting, radar and other navigation systems, communications
satellites, computer networks and innumerable other applications. Radio waves are
generated by radio transmitters and received by radio receivers. Different frequencies of
radio waves have different propagation characteristics in the Earth's atmosphere; long
waves can diffract around obstacles like mountains and follow the contour of the earth
(ground waves), shorter waves can reflect off the ionosphere and return to earth beyond
the horizon (skywaves), while much shorter wavelengths bend or diffract very little and
travel on a line of sight, so their propagation distances are limited to the visual horizon.
Uses:
Radio waves have lower frequencies and longer wavelengths than microwaves. They
are used to transmit television and radio programmes. Televisionuses higher frequencies
than radio. A radioprogramme receiver does not need to be directly in view of the
transmitter to receive programme signals.

ULTRAVIOLET RAYS
Ultraviolet (UV) is an electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 10 nm to
400 nm, shorter than that of visible light but longer than X-rays. UV radiation constitutes
about 10% of the total light output of the Sun, and is thus present in sunlight. It is also
produced by electric arcs and specialized lights, such as mercury-vapor lamps, tanning
lamps, and black lights. Although it's not considered an ionizing radiation because its
photons lack the energy to ionize atoms, long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation can
cause chemical reactions and causes many substances to glow or fluoresce.
Consequently, the chemical and biological effects of UV are greater than simple heating
effects, and many practical applications of UV radiation derive from its interactions with
organic molecules.

Uses:
Uses for UV light include getting a sun tan, detecting forged bank notes in shops, and
hardening some types of dental filling.

You also see UV lamps in clubs, where they make your clothes glow. This happens
because substances in washing powder "fluoresce" when UV light strikes them - they
absorb the UV and then re-radiate the energy at a longer wavelength. Your teeth do the
same thing!
The lamps are sometimes called "blacklights" because we can't see the UV coming from
them.

When you mark your posessions with a security marker pen, the ink is invisible unless
you shine a UV lamp at it.
INFRARED RADIATION
Infrared radiation is made up of electromagnetic waves of a particular wavelength just
beyond what we can see on the red side of the spectrum. They were first discovered by
William Herschel around 1800.
Other electromagnetic waves include radio, microwaves, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays,
and gamma rays, but electromagnetic waves that are between 700 nm and 1 mm are
classed as infrared. 1 millimeter is equal to 1,000,000 nanometers!
Infrared is all around us: Most warm objects, including the human body, release radiation
of this wavelength, heat-sensitive cameras work by detecting infrared radiation, and half
of the energy emitted by the sun is infrared.
Uses:
One of the most common uses of infrared radiation is in heat-sensitive thermal imaging
cameras. These can be used to study human and animal body heat patterns, but more
often, they are used as night-vision cameras. These have uses in warfare, as security
cameras and in nocturnal animal research.

Most remote controls operate by sending pulses of infrared, spelling out codes that an
electronic device will recognize. This includes TV remotes, DVD players, projectors, etc.
Infrared is often used to send signals through fiber optic cables, particularly when using
standard silica fibers. Fiber optic cables are commonly used to transmit audio to sound
systems and for high-speed Internet connections.
Infrared is also widely used in astronomy. Taking pictures of the universe in infrared can
lead to some amazing discoveries. Astronomers can look at an area of the sky that
appears empty and dark in the visual part of the electromagnetic spectrum and find the
area full of activity in the infrared. Since most objects that are at all hot produce infrared
radiation, whereas plenty of objects do not produce visible light, it is a vital tool in
observational astronomy.