Electromagnetic Waves
Vibrating electric and magnetic fields that travel at the speed of light. (300,000 km/sec)
Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves.
Crest
Wavelength
Time
amplitude
Trough
Wavelength ­­ distance between crests or between troughs.
Amplitude ­­ distance the wave moves up or down from rest position.
Frequency ­­ the number of waves that pass a specified point in a given time.
Wavelength and Frequency
The amount of energy carried by an electromagnetic wave increases with frequency.
Short wavelength, High frequency
Long wavelength, Low frequency
High Energy
Low Energy
Long Wavelength
Low Energy
Color Spectrum
X
Rays
Gamma
Rays
t
iole
Ult
rav
I
ed
r
a
r
f
n
Visible
Light
Radio
Waves
Microwaves
Electromagnetic waves are arranged according to frequency, from lowest to highest in the ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM.
Short Wavelength
High Energy