What is the difference between electromagnetic radiation and electromagnetic spectrum

This means that it is correct to talk about the energy of an X-ray or the wavelength of a microwave or the frequency of a radio wave. The electromagnetic spectrum includes, from longest wavelength to shortest: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma-rays.

Instead of using wavelengths, astronomers that study these portions of the EM spectrum usually refer to these photons by their energies, measured in electron volts eV. Ultraviolet radiation falls in the range from a few electron volts to about eV. X-ray photons have energies in the range eV to , eV or keV. Gamma-rays then are all the photons with energies greater than keV. Show me a chart of the wavelength, frequency, and energy regimes of the spectrum. Why do we put telescopes in orbit?

The Earth's atmosphere stops most types of electromagnetic radiation from space from reaching Earth's surface. This illustration shows how far into the atmosphere different parts of the EM spectrum can go before being absorbed. Only portions of radio and visible light reach the surface. Most electromagnetic radiation from space is unable to reach the surface of the Earth.

Radio frequencies, visible light and some ultraviolet light makes it to sea level. Astronomers can observe some infrared wavelengths by putting telescopes on mountain tops. Balloon experiments can reach 35 km above the surface and can operate for months. Rocket flights can take instruments all the way above the Earth's atmosphere, but only for a few minutes before they fall back to Earth.

For long-term observations, however, it is best to have your detector on an orbiting satellite and get above it all! In other words, the distance from one peak to another peak or from trough to trough in one wave. The longer the wavelength of the radiation, the lower its energy. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Radiation and Your Health. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. What is Radiation?

The Electromagnetic Spectrum. Minus Related Pages. As we move down in frequency from red light, there are other familiar forms of electromagnetic radiation: Infrared Microwaves Signals from our cell phones Radio waves These are all forms of radiation that are invisible to our eyes and that have less energy than visible light.

As we move up in frequency from purple light, there are Ultraviolet UV radiation X-rays Gamma rays These are all forms of radiation with energies much higher than visible light. For more information on ionizing radiation, click here Ionization is a unique property that other forms of radiation at lower frequencies, such as those from our cell phones, do not have. However, in , Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell developed a unified theory of electromagnetism.

The study of electromagnetism deals with how electrically charged particles interact with each other and with magnetic fields. Maxwell also developed a set of formulas, called Maxwell's equations, to describe these phenomena. EM radiation is created when an atomic particle, such as an electron, is accelerated by an electric field, causing it to move.

The movement produces oscillating electric and magnetic fields, which travel at right angles to each other in a bundle of light energy called a photon. Photons travel in harmonic waves at the fastest speed possible in the universe: , miles per second ,, meters per second in a vacuum, also known as the speed of light. The waves have certain characteristics, given as frequency, wavelength or energy.

A wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks of a wave. This distance is given in meters m or fractions thereof. Frequency is the number of waves that form in a given length of time.