Electromagnetic Spectrum

What does the term 'electromagnetic' refer to?

What determines the energy of an electromagnetic wave?

What is the primary difference between mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves?

What is the term for the distance from one peak of a wave to the peak of the next successive wave?

What is the range of frequencies that the human eye can perceive?

What determines the behavior of an electromagnetic wave?

What type of cells in the eye are able to receive certain wavelengths of light on the electromagnetic spectrum?

What happens when white light passes through a prism?

What determines the color of an object?

What is the unit of measurement for the frequency of a wave?

What is the relationship between the wavelength and frequency of a wave?

Which color has the longest wavelength and shortest frequency?

What is the range of wavelengths for the color violet?

What type of radiation has a higher frequency than visible light?

What is the term used to describe the range of visible light?

Electromagnetic Radiation

Electromagnetic radiation is a type of energy that takes on different forms, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, ultraviolet waves, X-rays, and gamma rays.
Each form of electromagnetic radiation is produced by the motion of electrically charged particles.
Electromagnetic radiation interacts with matter in various ways depending on the type of radiation.

Electromagnetic Waves

Electromagnetic waves are described using frequency (f), wavelength (), and energy.
Wavelength is the distance one complete cycle of an electromagnetic wave covers, measured in meters (m) and nanometers (nm).
Frequency is the number of waves that pass a fixed point during a set amount of time, measured in cycles per second or Hertz (Hz).
Energy is determined by the amplitude and frequency of a wave.

Visible Light

Visible light is the range of electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye.
The eye contains specialized cone-shaped cells that can receive certain wavelengths of light on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Visible light includes wavelengths between 380-740 nm and frequencies between 405-790 THz.

Color Spectrum

The color spectrum is a range of wavelengths and frequencies of visible light, including red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet.
Each color has a specific wavelength and frequency range, with red having the longest wavelength and lowest frequency, and violet having the shortest wavelength and highest frequency.
The colors of the visible spectrum blend into each other, and the ranges are approximate.

Wavelength and Frequency

Wavelength and frequency are inversely proportional to each other.
As the wavelength of a wave increases, the frequency decreases, and vice versa.
The wavelength chart shows the different visible light wavelengths, with red having the longest wavelength and violet having the shortest wavelength.

Learn about the different forms of electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, and more. Understand how they're produced by the motion of electrically charged particles.