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The waves are defined as the disturbance through any medium of substance. The electromagnetic
waves are the waves which are generated bycoupling of magnetic field with electric field. These
waves are in perpendicular direction to both the electric and magnetic and also perpendicular to each
other. These are first studied by James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz. Maxwell discovered that
changing electric field induced magnetic field and also vice-versa. These waves are existed due to
change in these fields. These are continued till it is not absorbed by matter.
The German physicist Hertz used the theory of Maxwell for the radio waves and gives the unit of
frequency. He showed all the properties of the electromagnetic waves as these waves do not required
any medium for their movement. Here we are discussing all about these waves, transmission, their
generation process, and their properties.
Let us consider an Electromagnetic field. When there is a periodic disturbance in the electric and
magnetic fields, we are able to see this Electromagnetic wave. These waves have a frequency that
comes in the range of electromagnetic spectrum.
An Electromagnetic spectrum is the spectrum containing all possible range of frequencies coming in
the electromagnetic wave. These waves do not need the medium for their Propagation. These waves
can be polarized and are transverse in nature. Medium is not required for their propagation.
Example: Radio waves, Light waves, thermal radiation, X ray etc.
These waves were discovered by famous physicist James Maxwell. They can be defined as "When
electric and magnetic fields fluctuate together they lead to formation of the propagating waves
called Electromagnetic waves."
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Radio waves, Light waves, thermal radiation, X ray, visible light, microwave, infrared, gamma rays etc.
are the example of electromagnetic waves. These waves together form the electromagnetic spectrum.
Electromagnetic waves can have a wave or particle nature. When wave it is characterized
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by frequency and wavelength.In vacuum the waves travel with a speed of light = 3 10 m/s. If a
medium is considered then it would depend upon the refractive index of the medium.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
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The Electromagnetic spectrum consists of all the possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiations.
The electromagnetic spectrum starts from radio waves and goes beyond the gamma rays. It is very
vast range of frequencies.
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EM spectrum consists of different types of waves with different wavelength and frequencies. The
wavelength and the frequency of the wave are inversely proportional to each other. The following are
the types of Electromagnetic Waves in the spectrum:
1. Radio Waves
2. Micro Waves
3. Infrared Rays
4. Visible Light
5. Ultraviolet
6. X rays
7. Gamma Rays
Types of Radiation
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There are seven types of electromagnetic waves which can be classified as follows:
Radio Waves :
1. These are the waves that are emitted by radio stations, during transmission or by TV stations
etc. they are also emitted by stars.
Hard ray
Soft X-ray.
Gamma Rays :
1. They are emitted by radioactive substances.
2. They are used in treatment of many diseases.
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1. Long wave
2. Medium wave
3. UHF and
4. VHF.
These are the waves that are emitted by radio stations, during transmission or by TV stations
etc. they are also emitted by stars.
The radio waves are used to carry the sound waves to the larger distance. It is composed of long
radio waves, AM and FM waves. So, from this a question Is Sound an Electromagnetic Wave
could be positively answered. Yes the sound is electromagnetic waves. In fact, we can say that any
radiation of whatsoever the wavelength it is the part of the EM spectrum.
The Energy in electromagnetic waves are half due to electric field and half due to magnetic field.
Electromagnetic radiation is the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. Basically it is the
movement of waves from one place to another.
For example: X rays and Gamma Rays.
Electromagnetic Field
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Electromagnetic fields are produced by electromagnetic waves. Basically they are produced by every
charge particle that is moving. Now as the waves have a particle as well as the wave nature so this
field is also produced by electromagnetic waves. It is produced in the area surrounding the wave. It is
the fundamental force of nature. Basically the field is produced by electric and magnetic field, by static
as well as moving charges. It is described by Maxwell equations.
Radio Waves
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The Radio waves are the very starting point of the EM spectrum. They have wavelength in the range
of 1 millimeter to several kilometers. The Radio wave frequency lies between as low as 3 Hz to as
high as 300 GHz. The radio waves are generally used in communication systems.
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Infrared Rays
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The infrared waves are of wavelength well below the visible region of the EM spectrum. The infrared
are not visible to our eye since they are outside the narrow window of the visible frequencies. In other
words, we can say that we are blind for all the spectrum except the visible spectrum.
The heat emitted by the body after the flame extinguishes is an examples of the infrared waves.
Ultraviolet Rays
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In the Electromagnetic spectrum the rays having frequencies higher than the violet color of the visible
light and frequency lower than the x rays is termed as the ultraviolet rays.
In terms of wavelength we can define the ultraviolet rays as the rays having wavelength less than the
violet visible light and greater than the x rays.Ultraviolet rays wavelength varies from 10 nanometer to
the 400 nanometer.
Ultraviolet spectrum of the electromagnetic spectrum is basically divided into three parts.
1. Near ultraviolet region
2. Far ultraviolet region
3. Extreme ultraviolet region.
It show three regions are made on the basis of the increasing energy.
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Gamma Rays
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The gamma rays are discovered by a French chemist and physicist, Paul Ulrich Villard, in 1900.
1. The gamma rays are the high frequency, high energy and shorter wavelength rays.
2. They lie above the X rays in the electromagnetic spectrum and are distinguishable from the
X rays by the source of their origins.
They have too many application in medical sciences and nuclear physics.
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X Rays
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Wilhelm Roentgen named the rays he discovered as X rays. The X rays belongs to the
electromagnetic spectrum. The X rays extends from the ultraviolet band to gamma rays band.
Although their is very thin line between the X-ray and gamma rays but they are distinguished by the
source of their generation. They have their own applications in medical science in diagnosis.
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SUMBER : http://physics.tutorvista.com/waves/electromagnetic-waves.html