Alicia Snchez

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The Electromagnetic Spectrum is the range of frequencies or wavelengths of all the electromagnetic waves, or in other words, of all the light that exists. This report will discuss the following six portions of the Electromagnetic Spectrum; Radio Waves, Microwaves, Infrared waves, Ultraviolet rays, X-Rays and Gamma rays. Each of these waves was discovered at a different time; they all have different uses and have collaborated in different areas such as science, medicine and industry.

Radio Waves:
Radio waves were discovered by a German physic called Heinrich Rudolf Hertz in 1887 while he did an experiment with electromagnetic waves; the apparatus he used is shown in the picture. Radio waves are mainly used for communications, to transmit sound signals, television signals and also for the transmission of data in coded form. It is also used in radio compasses for the navigation of aircrafts and ships and for many remotecontrol devices like artificial satellite operation systems. This wave has led to the development and invention of transceivers artifacts such as cellphones and cordless telephones, which are essential for our everyday life. Other inventions or discoveries made possible by radio waves include, radars, satellite communication, GPS receivers, modern aviation and even wireless internet access! Radio waves used for radio astronomy have allowed making scientific discoveries of the universe such as the fact that the Boomerang Nebula is the coldest place on the whole universe.

There are some misbeliefs about radio waves, for example, some people believe that if there is too much wind, radio signals wont get to their destination, the truth is that wind has no effect on radio waves at all because radio waves have a very long wavelength and will only bounce off large objects. The reflection of radio-waves is used in antenna so that it can receive signals coming from various directions. The angle of incidence of a radio wave is the same as the angle of reflection, therefore, by putting a curved surface beneath the antenna, radio waves hitting anywhere on the plate can be reflected towards it. Reflection of the wave is also used for communication because it allows it to bounce off the upper atmosphere so that it can reach receivers that are all over the world. Furthermore, diffraction of the wave allows low-frequency radio waves to be received behind hills, if not it would be impossible to get television signals at your house!

Alicia Snchez

Microwaves:
Microwaves were discovered by a Scottish physic and mathematician named James Clerk Maxwell in 1864. This kind of wave is commonly known for allowing us to heat and cook our food. Microwaves can be used in medicine as an alternative to surgery; they can also be used in industry to decrease air pollutants, to sanitize hospital waste and to clean up polluted soil. Furthermore, they are used in science for the process of separating chemical compounds. Microwaves can also be found in cellphones and radios; and due to the efficient way they penetrate the earths surface they allow space-vehicle communication. An obvious scientific invention made possible by this wave is the micro wave oven, an artifact which you can find in the majority of houses in the world. Microwaves have also contributed to the scientific expanding of knowledge about the oceans depth and surface by using active remote sensing instruments which use this kind of frequency. In addition, weather forecast is possible only because of this wave. Given the fact microwave ovens are so commonly used there are many myths and misbeliefs about them, for example; microwaves are bad because they kill the majority of nutrients in the food; in fact, all types of cooking destroy the nutrients in food, microwaves are the most recommendable because the cooking time is smaller. Another misbelief is that all microwave ovens will cause cancer; the truth is that this will only happens if there are any leaks, by replacing your machine constantly, there should be no problems. Finally, some people believe that looking through the window of a microwave oven will burn your eyes, the truth is that the leakage that comes out of the window is insignificant; looking at a microwave can only harm you if it is damaged or rusting.

Infrared rays:
Infrared rays were discovered by a German astronomer named Sir Frederick William Herschel in 1800 while he was preforming experiments beyond the red portion of the spectrum. Infrared rays can be used in the medical field for the non-invasive analysis of the bodys tissues and fluids. This kind of wave can also be used in security cameras and also by fire fighters to detect people or animals trapped somewhere when the smoke is really heavy. Furthermore, infrared rays in satellites are used for:

Alicia Snchez Convection in clouds so that it is easy to identify storms which will be potentially dangerous or destructive. To monitor pollution and to measure ocean temperature.

Finally, infrared rays are used in cameras to study vegetation patterns and distribution. Thermal infrared imaging has been essential to discover ancient roads and other valuable information about ancient civilizations. Scientific discoveries, especially in the field of astronomy have been made due to this wave, specifically about star formation and also about the hearts of dusty galaxies far away in space. There has been a recent scientific advancements in February,2013 to do with Infrared rays; in an experiment scientists introduced to rats the ability of sensing infrared light by developing a neural implant, this could be the start of a whole new set of investigations and understanding of how new abilities can be implanted to both animals and humans. There are many myths about infrared rays, for example, infrared energy can be harmful, and this is not true, infrared energy comes from the sun and is absorbed and emitted by all objects without any harm. Another misbelief is that weather has no impact on the use of infrared rays; in fact, conditions of the environment will completely interfere with the transfer of infrared radiation.

Ultraviolet Rays:
Ultraviolet light was discovered by the Polish scientist, Johann Wilhelm Ritter in 1801 while he was conducting experiments with silver chloride beyond the violet end of the spectrum. In fact ultraviolet means beyond violet, it was named like this due to the fact it was found to be the furthest away at that side of the spectrum. Ultraviolet rays are used in medicine to kill bacteria and viruses and also to sterilize medical instruments. They are also used to learn about objects in space with a higher temperature and to study specific types of atoms. Our primary source of UV radiation is the sun and it can be very harmful to skin, if you are overexposed, it can cause cancer and it is also very hazardous to the eyes. Other sources of UV rays are screens like from a television or a computer, which is why if you spend too long looking at them, your eyes may start to itch; tanning booths, curing lamps, mercury vapor lamps and some types of lasers. There are many myths about this type of waves, for instance, 80% of a persons lifes time sun exposure is acquired before age 18, therefore after that age it doesnt matter how much sun you get. This is completely untrue, only about 23% of a lifetime

Alicia Snchez exposure occurs before you are 18, and radiation can cause harm no matter what age you have. Another misbelief is that you cant get sun damage on cloudy days, the truth is up to 80% of the suns UV rays can penetrate through the clouds, it doesnt even matter if you are in the shade.

X-Rays:
The X-ray was discovered by Wilhem Conrad Rongten the 8th of November of 1895 while he was experimenting with electrical currents through glass cathode ray tubes. This kind of wave has helped a lot in the medicine field by allowing to: take photographs of the bones within living flesh, detect disease on teeth and also, to destroy unhealthy cells in the body. Furthermore, this type of wave is used for security purposes such as scanners in the airport or to identify the composition of substances; x-rays have even been used to analyze the authenticity of paintings. This type of wave allowed the invention of the x-ray machine, which uses x-rays to take photographs. Another discovery made possible is the high resolution electron spectroscopy, this is a surface analysis technique which irradiates x-rays at a sample or substance and this causes photoelectrons to be emitted form the surface; by analyzing the photoelectrons, it is possible to get properties of the sample such as the chemical state and the electron structure. X-rays have also allowed the discovery of the radiation of elements and also, the determination of Protein structures needed for Photosynthesis. Despite this kind of wave is well known across the world, there are still some misbeliefs about it, for example, x-rays will affect the breast milk of a pregnant mother, this is completely untrue because pregnant mothers even have tests done with x-rays and the radiation emitted is too low to cause any harm. Another misbelief is that dental x-rays are particularly harmful because they are close to the brain, in fact, wherever you get an x-rays test, the radiation is too low to cause any harm at all, it doesnt matter if it is on your legs or near your brain. The diffraction and reflection of x-rays are commonly used in the scientific field to make new discoveries; for example, photographs of x-ray diffraction patterns allowed scientists to infer the crystal structure of solids, also, x-ray reflection is used to infer the thickness and structure

Alicia Snchez of a material by using deviations of the wave; finally, some molecular structures were determined by using x-ray diffraction in gases.

Gamma Rays:
Gamma rays were discovered by a French Physic called Paul Villard in the 1900s while he was in the process of conducting studies with Uranium. Gamma rays can be used in the medicine field to destroy specific types of cancerous cells, to sterilize surgical instruments and to kill harmful bacteria in food. Researches on Gamma rays have allowed scientists to expand their knowledge about the origins of the universe, the size of it and at what rate it is expanding. In addition, the discovery of Gamma Ray focusing, could result in a better understanding of how light interacts with matter. There are many myth and misbeliefs about Gamma rays due to the fact they were used in The Incredible Hulk as the source of all his powers. Some misbeliefs are, Gamma rays make you glow, this is untrue Gamma rays cant be seen, they are transparent; this can only happen when radium is mixed with a chemical called Phosphate. Also, it is thought that Gamma rays can make you stronger, the fact is that although Gamma rays can create matter such as muscles, the high levels of energy and radiation would kill, if not disintegrate a person instantly. Gamma ray diffraction allows a way to find out the location of an atom within crystal structures of a solid, this is called crystallography. In addition, Gamma ray refraction has allowed Gamma ray optics which is used for detecting illicit nuclear material and getting rid of nuclear waste.

Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa/waves/soundandlightrev3.shtml http://www.stmary.ws/highschool/physics/micro_1.htm http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/classroom_activities/ritter_bio.html http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves.html

Alicia Snchez http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/classroom_activities/herschel_bio.html http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/myths-vs-facts http://hps.org/hpspublications/articles/uv.html