Electromagnetic Waves: An Introduction

What are electromagnetic waves? Electromagnetic waves are forms of light. What is light? Many religions compare light to God. In the New Testament, Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World." Genesis, which forms the foundation of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, states, "Let there be Light." But, what does light look like? Believe it or not, it is invisible. If a light wave were to pass in front of your eyes, then you would not see it unless it reflected off a surface and traveled to your retina. So, what is light exactly? Light is composed of photons, particles that cannot be broken down. Light can pass through a vacuum. They travel at 300 million meters per second in a vacuum. Light can be described by equations.

One equation from Electromagnetic Radiation, from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia is as follows: C= λν : where C= the speed of light, λ= wavelength of light, and ν= frequency of light. So, looking at this equation, the speed of light is constant. As the frequency of light increases, the wavelength decreases. As the wavelength increases the frequency decreases. Frequency and wavelength are inversely related. So, all the different forms of electromagnetic radiation differ by wavelength and frequency, but all light travels at the same speed. So, an X-ray and radio wave differ in only their wavelength and frequency, but their speed is always the same.

Another equation used to describe light is Planck's equation from Electromagnetic Radiation, from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia which is as follows: E=hν : where E is energy, h is Planck's constant (6.626068 × 10^-34 m² kg / s), and ν is the frequency of the wave. So, according to this equation, as the frequency of light increases the energy of the wave also increases. The frequency and energy of light is directly proportional.

Light is ordered according to increasing frequency as follows: Radio waves, microwave, Infrared waves, visible light, UV waves, x-rays, and gamma rays. Since, gamma rays have the greatest frequency; they also have the greatest energy. On the other hand, since radio waves have the lowest frequency; they have the least energy.

The more energy the wave has, then the more harmful the wave. Since, gamma rays have the most energy; they are the most harmful. Since, radio waves have the least energy; they are harmless. Gamma rays and x-rays do not penetrate the Earth's atmosphere. It's a good thing for life on Earth. If these rays passed through the Earth's atmosphere, then they could cause extensive damage to living things. That is why when you receive an x-ray at the dentist office, he places a lead vest over you. This is to prevent cancer, since X-rays, gamma waves and UV rays can cause cancer. They can also cause DNA damage to gametes resulting in potential birth defects.

Light can be described by equations. Light allows us to see, and so forms the basis of our reality.

Source

Electromagnetic Radiation, from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia