Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)

1. Electromagnetic Radiation is a type of energy that travels in waves.
2. Types of EMR
   1. Radio waves
   2. Microwaves
   3. Infrared
   4. Visible light
   5. Ultra Violet
   6. X-Rays
   7. Gamma Rays
   8. Handout: Electromagnetic Waves
3. To talk of a particular kind of energy we can discuss the energy, wavelength, or frequency of the wave.
   1. Wavelength is the distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of another.
   2. Frequency is the the number of waves per second that a stationary observer would count while the wave is passing by.
   3. Energy, frequency, and wavelength are all interrelated due to the fact that all EMR travels at the same speed. As wavelength decreases, frequency increases, and energy increases.
4. Nature of Light
   1. Light is just the range of electromagnetic radiation that had the correct wavelengths (or frequency or energy) to excite the molecules in cells at the back of our eyes. When these cells get excited they send electrical nerve impulses to our brain and we "see".
   2. Our eyes can combine multiple colors (wavelengths) of light to see one color. White light is the combination of all colors.
   3. Prisms and diffraction gratings can separate light which is a mixture into its component parts.

    

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