Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the unit of measure for wavelength?
What is the unit of measure for wavelength?
- Hertz (Hz)
- Meters (m) (correct)
- Joules (J)
- Watts (W)
Which of the following statements accurately describes electromagnetic waves?
Which of the following statements accurately describes electromagnetic waves?
- They are produced by accelerating charges. (correct)
- They only travel through solids.
- They require a medium to travel.
- They propagate at a speed of 150,000,000 meters/second.
Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum includes waves that we can see?
Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum includes waves that we can see?
- Ultraviolet
- Visible Light (correct)
- Microwave
- Infrared
What happens to the frequency of a wave when its wavelength is shortened?
What happens to the frequency of a wave when its wavelength is shortened?
Which scientist predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves?
Which scientist predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves?
What characterizes the relationship between changing electric fields and magnetic fields in electromagnetic waves?
What characterizes the relationship between changing electric fields and magnetic fields in electromagnetic waves?
What is the approximate common speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?
What is the approximate common speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?
Which of the following terms describes the number of waves passing a point in one second?
Which of the following terms describes the number of waves passing a point in one second?
Flashcards
Electromagnetic Wave (EM Wave)
Electromagnetic Wave (EM Wave)
A wave that doesn't need a medium to travel; it consists of vibrating electric and magnetic fields.
Mechanical Wave
Mechanical Wave
A wave that needs a medium to travel.
Wavelength (λ)
Wavelength (λ)
Distance between two corresponding points on a wave (e.g., crest to crest or trough to trough).
Frequency (f)
Frequency (f)
Number of waves passing a point per second.
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EM Spectrum
EM Spectrum
A continuous range of EM waves ordered by frequency/wavelength
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Speed of light
Speed of light
Constant speed of all EM waves in a vacuum (approx. 300,000,000 m/s).
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Radio Wave
Radio Wave
Lowest frequency EM wave on the spectrum.
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Visible Light
Visible Light
Part of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be detected by the human eye.
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Electromagnetic Waves (EM Waves)
- EM waves transfer energy
- They require no medium to travel
- They are transverse waves
- Speed of EM waves: 300,000,000 meters/second
- Produced by accelerating charges
- Predicted by James Clerk Maxwell before discovery
- Travel as vibrations in electric and magnetic fields
- Electric field changes affect corresponding magnetic field - vice versa
- Have both magnetic and electrical properties
Wave Properties
- Wavelength (λ): Distance between two equivalent points on a wave (e.g., crest to crest or trough to trough). Measured in meters
- Frequency (f): Number of waves passing a point in one second. Measured in Hertz (Hz) or cycles per second
- Short wavelengths = high frequencies
- Wavelength and frequency are inversely related
Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Continuous range of EM waves
- Divided into regions based on frequency/wavelength
- Regions include:
- Radio waves (discovered by Heinrich Hertz)
- Microwaves (discovered by James Clerk Maxwell and Sir William Herschel)
- Infrared
- Visible light (only EM wave we see)
- Ultraviolet (discovered by Johann Wilhelm Ritter)
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