Grade 8 Science Module 4, Lesson 2 15

Lesson 2
Electromagnetic Spectrum

Learning Outcomes
After completing this lesson you will be able to
Vocabulary
• compare and contrast various types of electromagnetic
• electromagnetic radiation with respect to relative energy, frequency,
spectrum wavelength, and human perception
• radio • provide examples of technologies that use electromagnetic
• microwaves radiation, and describe potential positive and negative
• infrared impacts of their uses
• visible

• ultraviolet

• x-rays Electromagnetic Spectrum*

• gamma-rays

• frequency Measuring the Electromagnetic Spectrum

wavelength
You actually know more about it than you may think! The
electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is just a name that
scientists give a bunch of types of radiation when they want
to talk about them as a group. Radiation is energy that
travels and spreads out as it goes-visible light that comes
from a lamp in your house or radio waves that come from a
radio station are two types of electromagnetic radiation.
Other examples of EM radiation are microwaves, infrared
and ultraviolet light, x-rays, and gamma-rays. Hotter, more
energetic objects and events create higher energy radiation
than cool objects. Only extremely hot objects or particles
moving at very high velocities can create higher energy
radiation than cool objects. Only extremely hot objects or
particles moving at very high velocities can create high-
ener radiation like x-rays and ga _-ravs
16 Module 4, Lesson 2 Grade 8 Science

Here are the different types of radiation in the EM spectrum,

in order from the lowest energy to the highest:

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Long Wavelength Short Wavelength

Low Frequency High Frequency
Low Energy High Energy
A

AWV
Radio Microwave X-Ray Gamma
Rays

Radio: Yes, this is the same kind of energy that radio

stations emit into the air for your boom box to capture and
turn into your favorite Mozart, Madonna, or Coolio tunes. But
radio waves are also emitted by other things... such as stars
and gases in space. You may not be able to dance to what
these objects emit, but you can use it to learn what they are
made of.
Microwaves: They will cook your popcorn in just a few
minutes! In space, microwaves are used by astronomers to
learn about the structure of nearby galaxies, including our
own Milky Way!
Infrared: We often think of this as being the same thing as
"heat," because it makes our skin feel warm. In space, Ili,
aps the dust between stars.


Grade 8 Science Module 4, Lesson 2 17

X-rays: Your doctor uses them to look at your bones and your
dentist to look at your teeth. Hot gases in the universe also
emit X-rays.
Gamma-rays: Radioactive materials (some natural and
others made by in things like nuclear power plants) can emit
gamma-rays. Big particle accelerators that scientists use to
help them understand what matter is made of can sometimes
generate gamma-rays. But the biggest gamma-ray generator
of all is the universe! It makes gamma radiation in all kinds
of ways.

A Radio Wave is not a Gamma - Ray, a Microwave is not

an X-ray... or is it?
We may think that radio waves are completely different
physical objects or events than gamma-rays. They are
produced in very different ways, and we detect them in
different ways, but are they really different things? The
answer is "no". Radio waves, visible light, x-rays, and all the
other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are
fundamentally the same thing. They are all electromagnetic
radiation.
Electromagnetic radiation can be described in terms of a
stream of photons, which are massless particles each
traveling in a wave-like pattern and moving at the speed of
light. Each photon contains a certain amount (or bundle) of
energy, and all electromagnetic radiation consists of these
photons. The only difference between the various types of
electromagnetic radiation is the amount of energy found in
the photons. Radio waves have photons with low energies,
microwaves have a little more energy than radio waves,
infrared has still more, then visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, and
... the most energetic of all... gamma-rays.


18 Module 4, Lesson 2 Grade 8 Science

Measuring Wavelengths

Electromagnetic radiation describes a stream of massless

particles, each travelling in a wave-like pattern at the speed of
light, and containing a certain amount of energy. The
electromagnetic spectrum is the term used to describe the whole
range of different types of electromagnetic radiation, each with
its own wavelength, frequency, and amount of energy. Types of
electromagnetic radiation include: radio waves, microwaves,
infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays,
and gamma-rays.

Questions: Waves
1. Electromagnetic radiation also moves in waves. To find the
wavelengths of the representative diagram below, use a ruler
to measure the distance from one crest to another,

trough trough

at is the measurement of each wavelength above?

c

2. The number of waves within a specified distance is the

frequency of a wave of electromagnetic radiation. Part 1:
Using a ruler, determine the wavelength of each sample. Part
2: Identify the number of waves per sample. Part 3: Identify


Grade 8 Science Module 4, Lesson 2 19

3. What is the relationship between the wavelength and the

frequency of a wave of electromagnetic radiation?

Questions: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Refer back to the information and the diagram of the

electromagnetic spectrum to answer the following questions.
1. The electromagnetic spectrum is made up of radiation, or
that travels and spreads out as it goes.
2. Types of radiation found near the left end of the spectrum
have low energy, and so also have frequency
and wavelength. low /high
short/long
3. Types of radiation found near the right end of the spectrum
have high energy, and so also have
low/high
frequency and wavelength.
shortllong
4. Which have more energy:
a. gamma rays or radio waves?
b. ultraviolet rays or x-rays?
c. infrared rays or ultraviolet rays?
d. visible light or radio waves?
5. Which is the only form of energy we can see?

ch colour has the shortest wavelength?

20 Module 4, Lesson 2 Grade 8 Science

11. What is the relationship of the red frequency to the green?

12. From your answers to the previous questions, name the

relationship between wavelength and frequency.

13. True or False

a. Radiation is energy that travels and spreads out as
it goes.
b. Electromagnetic radiation is a stream of photons,
each containing a certain amount of energy.
c. Hotter, more energetic objects create lower energy
radiation than cool objects.
d. Stars emit radio waves.
e. Stars do not emit ITV radiation.
f. Radio waves and gamma-rays are completely
different things.
g. Infrared rays are often thought of as heat rays.
h. The sun gives off ultraviolet and infrared energy.
i. Visible light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum .
j. Visible light takes up only a sm all part of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
k. We can see ultraviolet light.
1. We can see infrared light.

h£


Grade 8 Science Module 4, Lesson 2 21

Infrared Light: sensors in satellites and airplanes can give

important information on the health of crops and can help us see
forest fires even when there is a blanket of smoke
Ultraviolet Light: suntan lamps, destroying germs, special
lighting effects
X-Rays: medical examinations, treating diseases, inspecting
metals for defects
Gamma-Rays: treating cancer, medical research, providing
information on the life and death of stars in our universe
While there are many important uses for the various types of
electromagnetic radiation, there are also some dangers
associated with them. At one time or another, you have probably
had a sunburn. Ultraviolet light is needed by humans, but only
in small doses. Too much can damage the skin. Overexposure to
ultraviolet radiation can be so damaging to skin cells that it can
cause skin cancer. Even x-rays have some potentially harmful
side effects. At one time, small x-ray machines could be found in
shoe stores to help people ensure their shoes fit properly.
Eventually scientists realized that too much exposure to this
type of radiation could cause serious damage to humans. If you
have an x-ray today, you'll find that it is done very carefully with
shielding used to help protect the parts of your body that are not
being examined.