Download The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Our eyes see only a small band of electromagnetic radiation: the band that we term visible light.
There are many other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Collectively, they make up the
electromagnetic spectrum.
All electromagnetic radiation travels through space at the speed of light and through Earth’s
atmosphere at virtually the same speed. Different forms of electromagnetic radiation differ in
their frequency and wavelength.
Longer
WAVELENGTH
in m
Shorter
103
102
101
1
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-4
10-5
10-6
10-7
10-8
10-9
10-10
10-11
10-12
H
EQUIVALENT
SIZE OF A
WAVELENGTH
H
MOUNTAIN
HOUSE
PERSON
BASEBALL
FRUIT FLY
CELL
BACTERIA
PROTEIN
O
WATER MOLECULE
ATOM
VISIBLE LIGHT
COMMON
NAME OF
A WAVE
RADIO WAVES
INFRARED
ULTRAVIOLET
MICROWAVES
“HARD” X-RAYS
“SOFT” X-RAYS
GAMMA RAYS
SOURCES
COURTESY NASA
AM RADIO
FREQUENCY
in Hz
FM RADIO
MICROWAVE OVEN
RADAR
REMOTE CONTROL
LIGHT BULB
STARS
X-RAY MACHINE RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS
Lower
Higher
106
107
108
109
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014
1015
1016
1017
1018
1019
1020
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