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The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation distributed by frequency and wavelength. It consists of radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. Each portion has different properties based on how they are emitted, transmitted, absorbed, and their applications. The spectrum is often described in terms of wavelength, frequency, or energy, with different units used to describe different portions of the spectrum. Visible light makes up a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and consists of wavelengths between 380-750nm that correspond to the colors violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.

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63 views4 pages

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation distributed by frequency and wavelength. It consists of radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. Each portion has different properties based on how they are emitted, transmitted, absorbed, and their applications. The spectrum is often described in terms of wavelength, frequency, or energy, with different units used to describe different portions of the spectrum. Visible light makes up a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and consists of wavelengths between 380-750nm that correspond to the colors violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.

Uploaded by

Noor Jabety
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of EM radiation. Radiation
is energy that travels and spreads out as it goes – the visible light that comes from a
lamp in your house and the radio waves that come from a radio station are two types of
electromagnetic radiation. The other types of EM radiation that make up the
electromagnetic spectrum are microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-
rays and gamma-rays.
electromagnetic radiation distributed according to frequency or wavelength.
Although all electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light in a vacuum, they
do so at a wide range of frequencies, wavelengths, and photon energies.

And its consists of many subranges, commonly referred to as portions, such as


visible light or ultraviolet radiation. The various portions bear different names
based on differences in behavior in the emission, transmission, and absorption of
the corresponding waves and also based on their different practical applications.
.

Regions of the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Spectrum of Electromagnetic Radiation


Region Wavelength Wavelength Frequency Energy
(Angstroms (centimeters) (Hz) (eV)
)
Radio > 109 > 10 < 3 x 109 < 10-5
10-5 -
Microwave 109 - 106 10 – 0.01 3 x 109 - 3 x 1012
0.01
Infrared 106 - 7000 0.01 - 7 x 10-5 3 x 1012 - 4.3 x 1014 0.01 – 2
7 x 10-5 - 4 x 4.3 x 1014 - 7.5 x
Visible 7000 - 4000 2–3
10-5 1014
Ultraviolet 4000 - 10 4 x 10-5 - 10-7 7.5 x 1014 - 3 x 1017 3 - 103
X-Rays 10 - 0.1 10-7 - 10-9 3 x 1017 - 3 x 1019 103 - 105
Gamma Rays < 0.1 < 10-9 > 3 x 1019 > 105
The electromagnetic spectrum is the distribution of electromagnetic radiation
according to energy

Electromagnetic radiation is classified according to the frequency of its wave

The electromagnetic spectrum is the distribution of electromagnetic radiation


according to energy ,frequency or wavelength, Radio and microwaves are usually
described in terms of frequency (Hertz), infrared and visible light in terms of
wavelength (meters), and x-rays and gamma rays in terms of energy (electron
.volts)

Electromagnetic Spectrum of Visible Light


Light is an example of an electromagnetic wave. It appears as a white light for a
naked eye but in fact it consists of a set of waves of different wavelengths. Such
break up of an electromagnetic wave into visible set of waves is
called electromagnetic spectrum of visible light.

A white light consists of seven visible waves of different wave lengths, each
designated to a primary color. Red has the longest wave length and violet has the
shortest wavelength. A wave longer than red is called Infrared Wave, exists but not
visible. Similarly, a wave shorter than violet is called Ultraviolet Wave, exists but
not visible. These waves can damage the eye retina if exposed continuously.
Sometimes, we see a bow of colors in the sky after a rain, called a rainbow. This is
the fundamental and natural example of visible light spectrum wavelengths..

The color codes are, V = violet, I = indigo, B = Blue, G = green, Y = yellow and

R = red. As a memory aid, the word VIBGYOR is used

The wavelengths of different colors are as follows.

Wave length range in nm.


Color
(1 nm is one billionth of a meter)
Violet 380 – 450
Indigo 476 – 495
Blue 450 – 475
Green 495 – 570
Yellow 570 – 590
Orange 590 – 620
Red 620 – 750

Each color has a characteristic wavelength and frequency.


Red --- longest wavelength and the lowest frequency
Violet --- shortest wavelength and the highest frequency

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