FORCE, MOTION, AND ENERGY

MODULE 4
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
 MODULE 4 Electromagnetic Spectrum

Introduction and Focus Questions

For centuries, astronomers studied the universe using only the visible light coming from
planets, moons, and stars. But many objects in space also emit X-rays, ultraviolet and infrared
radiations, and radio waves.

Study the pictures above. Look how the Sun majestically look in electromagnetic
spectrum. Scientists now use telescopes that can detect these different types of
electromagnetic waves. As these images of the Sun reveal, the new tools are providing more
information of objects in the universe.

In this module, you will learn about the detailed characteristics of the electromagnetic
spectrum. This will help you appreciate the relevant applications and effects of some of the
electromagnetic waves in us and our environment.

 At the end of the module, you should be able to answer the following questions:

a. How do the regions in the electromagnetic spectrum differ in terms of wavelength,

frequency and energy?

b. How do the different types of electromagnetic waves become relevant to people and
environment?

c. What are the effects of electromagnetic waves?

Lesson and Coverage

In this module, you will examine the aforementioned questions when you study the
lesson on electromagnetic spectrum.

This module will address the following learning competencies:

Learning Compare the relative wavelengths of different forms of electromagnetic

waves [S10FE-IIa-b-47]
Competencies
Cite examples of practical applications of the different regions of
electromagnetic waves, such as the use of radio waves in
telecommunications [S10FE-IIc-d-48]

Explain the effects of electromagnetic radiation on living things and the

environment [S10FE-IIe-f-49]
Module Map

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Wavelength, frequency, energy,

and method of production

Uses and application

Risk and danger to people and

environment
 The classroom you are sitting in is full of electromagnetic waves. These electromagnetic
waves have a wide range of wavelengths and frequencies. For example, the electromagnetic
waves broadcast by ABS-CBN can pass through the walls to your TV so you can watch your
favorite Korean Drama. These waves are invisible and have wavelengths from 1 m to over 500
m. Light waves that you see are electromagnetic waves that have wavelengths more than a
million times shorter than the waves broadcast by TV stations.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The wide range of electromagnetic waves with different frequencies and wavelengths
forms the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum is divided into different
parts. According to increasing frequency, the electromagnetic spectrum includes: radio waves,
microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. These waves do not
have exact dividing region.

The figure below will give you a clearer idea of the characteristics of the
electromagnetic waves as their sizes are compared with visible materials.

Even though electromagnetic waves have different names, they all travel at the same
speed in empty space—the speed of light. Remember that for waves that travel at the same
speed, the frequency increases as the wavelength decreases. So as the frequency of
electromagnetic waves increases, their wavelength decreases.

 After learning about the wavelengths and frequencies of the different types of
electromagnetic waves, try this next activity to learn more on other characteristics of
electromagnetic waves.

Activity 1: Hide me in your arms.

Objectives

Experiment with various materials to determine if they

can block or allow radio waves to pass through.

Observe and infer about types of materials that can

shield radio waves

Collect and organize data on types of blocker.

Direction

You should be in groups of five members to do the activity.

Materials
small battery-operated AM/FM radio

aluminium foil covered box

Cardboard box

Static shield bags

Masking tape

Data sheets

Procedure
1. Prepare the boxes - cardboard and
aluminium boxes.

2. Turn on the radio and time in to a strong

signal AM radio station.

3. Hold the radio next to your body and

cover it with you arms. How was the
reception? Record you observation.

4. Place the radio inside a cardboard box

and put the lid on the box. Listen to the
radio’s reception and record your
observation.

5. Place the radio inside the aluminium covered box and cover it. Listen to the reception and
record you observation.

6. Place the radio inside the static shielding bag. How was the signal? Record your
observation.

7. Change the radio to FM and tune in a strong station. Repeat steps 2 to 6.

Band [AM/FM] Material Observation

Analysis
1. Why was covering the radio with your arms not effective at blocking the radio waves?

2. Which materials were effective it blocking the radio waves?

3. What does it tell you about radio transmissions signal?

4. What characteristics of electromagnetic wave did you discover?

Radio Waves
Electromagnetic waves with wavelengths longer
than about 0.001 m are called radio waves. Radio
waves have the lowest frequencies of all the
electromagnetic waves and carry the least energy.
They were discovered by Heinrich Hertz in 1887. Television signals, as well as AM and FM
radio signals, are types of radio waves. Like all electromagnetic waves, radio waves are
produced by moving charged particles. By changing the rate at which the electrons vibrate,
radio waves of different frequencies can be produced that travel outward from the antenna.

Microwaves

Radio waves with wavelengths between

about 0.3 m and 0.001 m are called microwaves.
James Clark Maxwell was credited for discovering
microwaves in 1864. Microwaves have a higher
frequency and a shorter wavelength than the
waves that are used in your home radio. Microwaves are used to transmit some phone calls,
especially from cellular and portable phones.

Rub your hands together fast and hard. How do you feel? Are they getting warmer?
Microwave ovens work the same way. They make small parts inside the food run together and
warm up. Microwave ovens use microwaves to heat food. Microwaves produced inside a
microwave oven cause water molecules in your food to vibrate faster, which makes the food
warmer. Microwaves are known to cause cataract so don’t get the habit of pressing your face
against a microwave oven to see if the food is cooked already.

Now, let us do some experiments on microwaves.

Activity 2: Let’s cook some marshmallows!

Objectives
Discover the effect of microwave on food.

Observe what happens to marshmallows when they put inside the microwave oven.

Compare the shape of marshmallows as they heat up and then cool down again.

Direction

You should be in groups of five members to do the activity.

Materials
Microwave oven

4 big marshmallows

Microwave-safe plate

Data sheets

Procedure
[Safety: Do not stare directly at the microwave when it is on.]

1. Microwave one marshmallow for 10 seconds and remove from the microwave oven.

2. Compare it to an uncooked marshmallow and describe how it looks. Describe also the
temperature of the cooked marshmallows. What happens to it when it cools?

3. Microwave the second marshmallow for 30 seconds and remove it. How does it compare
with an uncooked marshmallow? What happens to it as it cools?

4. Microwave the third marshmallow for 50 seconds and remove it. Compare the shape and
temperature to the uncooked marshmallow right away and after it cools. How do they
differ?

TIME 10 SEC 30 SEC 50 SEC

OBSERVATION

Analysis
1. What did you learn from the experiment?

2. What causes the changes to the marshmallows?

3. What is the effect of microwave to the marshmallow?

4. How do you think the microwave do to heat up the marshmallows?

Infrared Waves
You might know from experience that when you stand
near the lampara or near the stand of isawan, your skin senses
the heat and becomes warm. Your skin can feel the heat of the
glowing charcoal and may also feel the warm of object that is
not glowing. The heat you are sensing with your skin is from
the electromagnetic waves. These electromagnetic waves are
called infrared waves and have wavelengths between about
one thousandth and 0.7 millionths of a meter. Sir William
Herschell identified these rays during 1800s. Infrared rays are
also known as heat waves.

Some animals also can detect infrared waves. Snakes, like the endemic Palawan
spitting cobra, have a pit located between the nostril and the eye that detects infrared waves.
Rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins are pit vipers. These pits help pit vipers hunt
at night by detecting the infrared waves their prey emits.

Engineers incorporate infrared technology into a variety of equipment and systems

used in many industries. Infrared is used in night vision equipment when there is insufficient
visible light to see an object. The radiation is detected and turned into an image on a screen,
hotter objects showing up in different shades than cooler objects, enabling the police and
military to acquire warm targets, such as human beings and automobiles. This kind of
technology help our soldiers to liberate Marawi faster.

Activity 3: Engineering Infrared Investigation

Objective
Understand the limitations of infrared wave.

Discuss how materials will impact the infrared wave.

Direction

You are a team of “engineers” who have been given the task of testing infrared technology. You
should be in groups of five members to do the activity.

Materials

TV remote control

White paper

 Black paper

Aluminium foil

Plastic Wrap

DVD

Water

Glass of milk

Black electrical tape

Procedure
1. Working as a team of “engineers”, discuss and make predictions about how different
materials will impact the infrared. What will happen if you tried to bounce the infrared off of
paper, foil, or other materials to see if it still controls your TV? Note the result below.

Material White paper Black paper Flat foil Crumpled foil Plastic Wrap

Prediction

Material Glass of water Glass of milk Black electrical Your hand DVD
tape

Prediction

2. Test your teams' predictions about interference or extension of infrared by bouncing the
infrared off of paper, foil or other materials to see if it still controls the television. Note the result
below.

Material White paper Black paper Flat foil Crumpled foil Plastic Wrap

Result

Material Glass of water Glass of milk Black electrical Your hand DVD
tape

Result
Analysis
1. What result spurred your team the most? Why?

2. Based on your experiment, if your engineering team was considering using infrared to
control an underwater system, would you agree to incorporate infrared? Why or why not?

3. What about in space? Why or why not?

4. Why do you think that engineers need to test components they are considering to
incorporate in a new product or system?

Visible Light
Light is amazing! It is a form of
energy that can bend and bounce, and
it comes in all different colors. As the
temperature of an object increases, the
atoms and molecules in the object move
faster. The electrons also vibrate faster,
and produce electromagnetic waves of
higher frequency and shorter
wavelength. If the temperature is high
enough, the object might glow. Some of
the electromagnetic waves that the hot
object is emitting are now detectable with your eyes.

Electromagnetic waves you can detect with your eyes are called visible light. Visible
light has wavelengths between about 0.7 and 0.4 millionths of a meter. Most of the light that
streams to our eyes appears white or yellowish, but light, part of the electromagnetic spectrum,
actually contains several wavelengths, which the human eye sees as different colors.

Red light has the longest wavelength (lowest frequency), and blue light has the shortest
wavelength (highest frequency). Most objects that you see do not give off visible light. They
simply reflect the visible light that is emitted by a source of light, such as the Sun or a lightbulb.

In the next activity, you will be making you own spectroscope. Modern spectroscopes
often replace the prism with narrow slits called diffraction grating. The slits spread the light into
different wavelengths by different amounts, which makes it possible to measure the
wavelengths.

Activity 4: Making My Own Rainbow

Objectives

Make spectroscope from everyday item.

Observe different spectra of light using different light source.

Materials

Cardboard box

DVD

2 business cards

Cardboard tube

Aluminium foil

Glue

Scissors

Scotch tape

Maker

Ruler

Procedure

1. Begin making a spectroscope by making a hole for the viewing tube. Set the DVD on top of
the box. Use a pen to trace the circle in the middle of the DVD.

2. Center the tube over the circles and trace it. Move the tube over about half an inch and trace
another circle.

3. Use scissors to cut the oval out of the box. Make the viewing slit. Turn the box to the right so
that the viewing oval is on its side. Place the Dvd on the left-hand side of the box and draw
another small circle to mark location.

4. Cut a small rectangle about half an inch wide and 2 inches high, with its base set on the
circle by the DVD.

5. Set the edges of two business cards parallel to each other over the rectangle, leaving a small
gap between them.

6. Stand the box up. Tape the DVD to the wall opposite the viewing slit, with the printed side
against the wall and the rainbow side pointed toward the slit.

7. Seal up the box using the aluminium foil. Cover any region where light might get in.

8. Insert the paper tube into oval, with the interior end angled toward the DVD. Tape the tube in
place and use the aluminium foil to seal up the edges.

9. After making your spectroscope, aim for spectroscope at various light sources. Look for
specific colours and notice the spacing between the coloured lines. Write your observation on
your data sheet.

Light Source Observation

Candle flame

Flash light

Yellow light

Blue light

Red light

Neon Signs
Analysis

1. How do you find the experience of making your own spectroscope?

2. How did it help you understand the spectrum of visible light?

3. What do you observe about the appearance of different light source from your
spectroscope?

4. What insight did you learn from the experiment?

There is a another part of electromagnetic spectrum that you will learn. The next activity
will deepen your understanding about this kind of electromagnetic wave. Light carries energy
that is the reason why you feel warm under the sun. This experiment will not only help you
understand the effect of ultraviolet but also help you learn that color absorbs heat from the
sun.

Activity 5: What absorbs More Heat?

Objective
Discover the effects of ultraviolet rays of the sun.

Understand that color absorbs the heat from the sun.

Materials
2 identical drinking glasses

Water

Thermometer

2 elastic bands or some sellotape

White paper

Black paper

Rubber bond

Procedure
1. Wrap the white paper around one of the glasses using a rubber band to hold it.

2. Do the same with the black paper and the other glass.

3. Fill the glasses with exact same amount of water.

4. Leave the glasses out in the sun for a couple of hours before returning to measure the
temperature of the water in each.

Analysis
1. Which glass has the hotter temperature?

2. What did you learn from the experiment?

3. Why do you think people wear lighter color clothes in the summer?

Ultraviolet Radiation
Shortly, after the infrared rays were
discovered, Johann Wilhelm Ritter discovered
the Ultraviolet rays (UV for short). Ultraviolet
radiation is higher in frequency than the visible
light and has even shorter wavelengths—
between 0.4 millionths of a meter and about
ten billionths of a meter. Ultraviolet radiation
has higher frequencies than visible light and carries more energy. The radiant energy carried by
an ultraviolet wave can be enough to damage the large, fragile molecules that make up living
cells. Too much ultraviolet radiation can damage or kill healthy cells.

Ultraviolet radiation has lower power of penetration; hence, its direct effects on
the human body are limited to the surface skin. Too much exposure to the Sun’s ultraviolet
waves can cause sunburn. Exposure to these waves over a long period of time can lead to
skin tanning, early aging of the skin and possibly skin cancer. You can reduce the amount of
ultraviolet radiation you receive by wearing sunglasses and sunscreen, and staying out of the
Sun when it is most intense.

Ultraviolet radiation also has positive effects on the human body, however. It stimulates
the production of vitamin D in the skin and can be used as a therapeutic agent for such
diseases as psoriasis. Because of its bactericidal capabilities at wavelengths of 260–280 nm,
ultraviolet radiation is useful as both a research tool and a sterilising technique. However, UV
rays can also damage the retina. So, be sure to wear a UV protected sunglasses every time
you are out of the sun.

X-rays and Gamma Rays

X rays or Roentgen rays are thousand times shorter than the visible light and have
very high frequencies. X- rays have wavelengths ranging from 10 -12 m to 10-8 m. X rays are
classified as soft or har. Soft X- rays can penetrate soft substances like flesh and bones. The
hard X- rays are used mainly in industries. Aside from taking photographs of our internal body
parts, X- rays are also used in airport security checks to see the inside of your luggage. X- rays
can cause cancer and damage tissues. A shield made from a dense metal, such as lead, is
required to stop X rays.

 Gamma rays, which were discovered by Paul Villard, have the highest frequency and,
therefore, carry the most energy. Gamma rays are the hardest to stop. They are produced by
changes in the nuclei of atoms. When protons and neutrons bond together in nuclear fusion or
break apart from each other in nuclear fission, enormous quantities of energy are released.
Some of this energy is released as gamma rays.

Just as too much ultraviolet radiation can hurt or kill cells, too much X-ray or gamma
radiation can have the same effect. Because the energy of X rays and gamma rays is greater,
the exposure that is needed to cause damage is much less.

Although gamma rays are dangerous, they also have beneficial uses, just as X rays do.
A beam of gamma rays focused on a cancerous tumor can kill the tumor in the process
radiotheraphy. Gamma radiation also can kill disease-causing bacteria in food. Although
gamma radiation has been used since 1963 to kill bacteria in food, this method is not widely
used in the food industry.

Standardized Practice
1. The range of electromagnetic waves placed in 6. Cell phone signals are transmitted by

a certain order is called the _________. A radio waves

A electromagnetic spectrum. B infrared rays

C ultraolet radiation

B electromagnetic wavelength. D X-rays

C electromagnetic frequency.
D electromagnetic field. 7 Which of the following is a tool used for
separating this different color wavelengths from
2. Visible light has a higher frequency than each other?

A spectroscope

A X-rays.
B telescope

B ultraviolet rays. C stethoscope

C infrared rays. D microscope

D gamma rays.
8 Which of the following is NOT in the visible
3. When a police officer uses radar for speed light spectrum?

control, the officer is using what kind of A ultraviolet light

B blue light

electromagnetic waves?
C red light

A radio waves D violet light

B gamma rays
C ultraviolet rays 9. What type of rays would you expect to be
D X-rays used frequently at a hospital to make medical
diagnoses?

A UV Rays

4. What kind of waves do cellular telephones B Microwaves

use to transmit and receive signals? C Gamma rays

A gamma rays D X-rays

B microwaves
10. Which type of electromagnetic radiation is
C ultraviolet rays
used to sterilised food?

D infrared rays A X-rays

B gamma rays

5. Which of the following is true of ultraviolet C UV rays

rays? D beta rays

A They are visible.

B They carry information to televisions and
radios.
C They help your body produce vitamin D.
D They gives signal to your cellular phones.

What to REFLECT and UNDERSTAND

The goal in this section is to take a closer look at some aspects of the topic. Students are going
to think deeper and test further their understanding of electromagnetic spectrum. After doing
the activities, students should be able to answer this important question: “How important is
knowing the different regions of electromagnetic spectrum and their properties in solving real-
life problems?

You have to make a journal entry in answering the important question.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
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What to TRANSFER
The goal of this module is for students to apply what they have learned in real-life situations.
This shall be one of the group outputs for this rating period. A practical task shall be given to
students where each of them will demonstrate their understanding with accuracy, and further
supported through refined scientific concepts along with the projects’ stability and creativity.
Students shall be graded in accordance with a rubric prepared for this task.

Activity 10: From where do radio stations broadcast?

Question Radio signals are electromagnetic waves. How far away from Puerto Princesa City
are the transmitters that are used to broadcast that radio station signals that you can tune in on
the AM band?

Objectives
Experiment with small battery-operated AM radio to determine the frequency, signal strength,
and distance of the transmitter

Collect and organise data to determine if the distance has an effect on the signal strength of
the transmitter.

Direction

You should be in groups of five members to do the activity.

Procedure

1. The AM radio band in an ordinary AM radio receiver ranges 540 kHz to 1690 kHz. Turn on
the radio and adjust it to 540kHz, and set the volume to moderate.

2. Slowly adjust the frequency upward until you hear a radio station whose broadcast you can
clearly understand. Listen to the broadcast for a short time to hear if the station identifies
its call sign (for example, DZBB for Super Radio).

3. Record the station’s frequency, signal strength (strong, medium, or weak), and call sign in
your data table.

Frequency [kHz] Station Call Sign Signal Strength Location Distance

4. Repeat step 2 until you have reached the upper end of the AM radio band, 1690kHz.

5. Determine where each station broadcast its signal from. Record each station broadcasts
from in your data table.

6. Using maps, locate from which each radio station broadcasts. Determine the distance to
each transmitter and record the value in you data table.

Analysis
1. How far away was the farthest radio station broadcast?

2. Does the distance from the transmitter affect the station’s signal strength?

3. Changing the position of the antenna often affects a station’s signal strength. What does
this imply about the nature of radio waves?

Rubric
CRITERIA EXCELLENT SATISFACTORY DEVELOPING BEGINNING RATING
4 3 2 1

Laboratory

REFERENCE

Xray image of the sun

goo.gl/TNQuwY

Infrared image of the sun

goo.gl/iaoNa3

Radio wave image of the sun

goo.gl/k8anEA

Ultraviolet image of the sun

goo.gl/NTZxUx

Infrared activities
http://tryengineering.org/sites/default/files/lessons/infraredinv.pdf

Visible light activity

https://www.livescience.com/41548-spectroscopy-science-fair-project.html