Table of Contents
Sl Topic Pg no.
no.
1 Introduction to Electromagnetic Spectrum 1
2 History of Electromagnetic Spectrum 2
3 Types of Electromagnetic Radiation 3
4 Need of Electromagnetic Spectrum 5
5 Nature of Electromagnetic Waves 7
6 Applications of Electromagnetic Spectrum 9
7 Mathematical Expression For Electromagnetic Spectrum 13
8 Conclusion 15
9 Bibliography 16
Introduction to Electromagnetic Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum, the entire distribution of electromagnetic
radiation according to frequency or wavelength
The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of EM radiation. Ex: Radiation is
energy that travels and spreads out as it goes towards visible light that comes from a lamp in
your house and the radio waves that come from a radio station.
All electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light in a vacuum, they do so at a wide range of
wavelengths, frequencies and photon energies. The entire electromagnetic spectrum, from the
lowest to the highest frequency (longest to shortest wavelength), includes all radio waves e.g.,
commercial radio, television, microwaves, radar etc. infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet
radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays. Most of them, frequencies and wavelengths of
electromagnetic radiation can be used for spectroscopy (the branch of science concerned with the
investigation and measurement of spectra produced when matter interacts with or emits
electromagnetic radiation).
The electromagnetic spectrum comprises the span of all electromagnetic radiation and consists of
many sub-ranges, commonly referred to as portions, such as visible light or ultraviolet radiation.
The electromagnetic spectrum is comprised of all frequencies of electromagnetic radiation that
propagate energy and travel through space in the form of waves. Longer wavelengths with lower
frequencies make up the radio spectrum. Shorter wavelengths with higher frequencies make the
optical spectrum.
Electromagnetic radiation is reflected or absorbed mainly by several gases in the Earth's
atmosphere, the most important being which absorbs are water vapour, carbon dioxide, and
ozone. Some radiation, like visible light, largely passes or is transmitted through the atmosphere.
These regions of the spectrum with wavelengths that can pass through the atmosphere are
referred to as "atmospheric windows." Some microwaves can even pass through clouds, which
make them the best wavelength for transmitting satellite communication signals.
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History of Electromagnetic Spectrum
David Ball discusses how the electromagnetic spectrum was originally found out
and said what electromagnetic spectrum means for spectroscopy.
David W. Ball
When a person says the word light a listener and also a spectroscopist usually interprets that as
meaning as the light is visible. That's not unexpected, because throughout most of recorded
history the only light that we recognized was light that we could see. Which changed in the
1800s when it was finally realized that light was a more general phenomenon. Although
currently the term "light" refers to a lot more than just visible light, it's more common to use the
phrase "electromagnetic radiation" when referring to any form of light. The collective range of
all possible lights is called the electromagnetic spectrum.
(1). Light has both particle and wave properties,
Because a photon of light has a certain energy E and momentum p, it acts as a particle:
Because light's properties can be described by values of wavelength λ, frequency υ, and
wavenumber tilde it acts as a wave. As with any wave, the velocity of light is equal to the
product of its frequency and wavelength:
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Types of Electromagnetic Radiation
In the increasing order of Frequency
1. Radio Waves
Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation best-known for their use in
communication technologies, such as television, mobile phones and radios. These devices
receive radio waves and convert them to mechanical vibrations in the speaker to create sound
waves.
2. Micro Waves
An electromagnetic wave with a wavelength in the range 0.001–0.3 m, shorter than that of a
normal radio wave but longer than those of infrared radiation. Microwaves are used in radar,
in communications, and for heating in microwave ovens and various industrial processes.
3. Infrared Waves
Infrared radiation (IR), sometimes referred to simply as infrared, is a region of the
electromagnetic radiation spectrum where wavelengths range from about 700 nanometers
(nm) to 1 millimetre (mm). Infrared waves are longer than those of visible light but shorter
than those of radio waves.
4. Visible Rays
Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the
colours of the rainbow. Each colour has a different wavelength. ... When white light shines
through a prism or water vapour like this rainbow, the white light is broken apart into the
colours of the visible light spectrum.
5. Ultraviolet Rays
Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 10 nm (with a
corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible
light, but longer than X-rays. ... Short-wave ultraviolet light damages DNA and sterilizes
surfaces with which it comes into contact.
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6. X-rays
X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, similar to visible light. Unlike light, however,
x-rays have higher energy and can pass through most objects, including the body. Medical x-
rays are used to generate images of tissues and structures inside the body and their
wavelengths range from 10^-8 to 10^-12 meters.
7. Gamma Rays
Gamma radiation or gamma rays are high-energy photons that are emitted by the radioactive
decay of atomic nuclei. Gamma radiation is a very high-energy form of ionizing radiation,
with the shortest wavelength.
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Need of Electromagnetic Waves
In our daily life, electromagnetic waves are very important because,
All living things on Earth depend on the electromagnetic radiation received from the Sun and on
the transformation of solar energy by photosynthesis into plant life or by biosynthesis into
zooplankton, the basic step in the food chain in oceans.
When you listen to the radio, watch TV, or cook dinner in a microwave oven, you are using
electromagnetic waves. Radio waves, television waves, and microwaves are all types of
electromagnetic waves.
Electromagnetic waves are used for communication such as television and radio. Radio waves
are transmitted easily through the air. They do not cause damage if absorbed by the human body,
and they can be reflected to change their direction. These properties make them ideal for
communications.
Electromagnetic waves shape modern life in many, many smaller-scale (but more immediate)
ways: your cell phone, your wife connection, your microwave, and medical imaging techniques
such as x-ray and MRI are all brought to you courtesy of electromagnetic waves.
Electromagnetic waves are used to transmit long/short/FM wavelength radio waves, and
TV/telephone/wireless signals or energies.
In humans, light waves ensure proper biological functioning and stable mental health. Reduced
exposure to natural light prevents the synthesis of neurotransmitters and may lead to depression,
Alzheimer’s disease, and even brain damage.
Everyday life is pervaded by artificially made electromagnetic radiation: food is heated in
microwave ovens, aeroplanes are guided by radar waves, television sets receive electromagnetic
waves transmitted by broadcasting stations, and infrared waves from heaters provide warmth.
Many household appliances produce electromagnetic fields: low consumption light bulbs,
television and computer screens, electric radiators and even electric blankets.
All of these common objects emit electric or electromagnetic fields and/or function by using
them.
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Why Electromagnetic Radiations are important?
Visible Rays – this is one of the electromagnetic radiation which all the living creatures to
visualize or see and observe everything in the universe.
Ultraviolet Rays-Beneficial effects of UV radiation include the production of vitamin D, a
vitamin essential to human health. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus
from food and assists bone development. The World
Health Organization (WHO) recommends 5 to 15 minutes of sun exposure 2 to 3 times a week.
Infrared Rays-We uses infrared radiation in many ways, including thermal imaging cameras,
remote controls, fibre optic cables, infrared astronomy, and meteorology.
It also keeps the body warm when there is cold outside.
X-Rays-The most familiar use of x-rays is checking for fractures (broken bones), but x-rays are
also used in other ways. Mammograms use x-rays to look for breast cancer. When you have an
x-ray, you may wear a lead apron to protect certain parts of your body.
They are used by doctors to see inside people. They are also used by astronomers - many objects
in the universe emit X-rays, which we can detect using suitable radio telescopes. Lower energy
X-Rays don't pass through tissues as easily and can be used to scan soft areas such as the brain.
Check Symptoms in the Body. In the medical world, x-ray technology has many purposes.
Diagnosing Injuries. A bone x-ray will use a small amount of ionizing radiation. Dental check. A
dentist will get images of your teeth with a dental x-ray.
Gamma-Rays-These rays are used in medicine (radiotherapy), industry (sterilization and
disinfection) and the nuclear industry. Shielding against gamma rays is essential because they
can cause diseases to skin or blood, eye disorders and cancers.
Micro-Waves-Microwaves are widely used in modern technology, for example in point-to-point
communication links, wireless networks, microwave radio relay networks, radar, satellite and
spacecraft communication, medical diathermy and cancer treatment, remote sensing, radio
astronomy, particle accelerators, spectroscopy and some industrial purpose.
Radio-Waves-Radio waves are very widely used in modern technology for fixed and mobile
radio communication, broadcasting, radar and radio navigation systems, communications
satellites, wireless computer networks and many other applications.
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Nature of Electromagnetic Waves
Electromagnetic waves are synchronized oscillations of electric and magnetic fields that
propagate at the speed of light through a vacuum. The oscillations of the two fields are
perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the direction of energy and wave propagation,
forming a transverse wave.
Electromagnetic waves consist of both electric and magnetic field waves. These waves oscillate
in perpendicular planes concerning each other and are in phase. The creation of all
electromagnetic waves begins with an oscillating charged particle, which creates oscillating
electric and magnetic fields.
Electromagnetic waves are typically described by any of the following three physical properties:
frequency (f), wavelength (λ), or intensity (I). Light quanta are typically described by frequency
(f), wavelength (λ), or photon energy (E). The spectrum can be ordered according to frequency
or wavelength.
EM waves are 'transverse' waves. This means that they are measured by their amplitude (height)
and wavelength that is the distance between the highest/lowest points of two consecutive waves.
The highest point of a wave is known as 'crest', whereas the lowest point is known as 'trough'.
Every form of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, oscillates periodically with
peaks and valleys and displays a characteristic amplitude, wavelength, and frequency that defines
the direction, energy, and intensity of the radiation.
These waves travel with the speed of 3×108ms−1 in a vacuum. They are
not deflected by electric or magnetic fields. They can show
interference or diffraction.
Amplitude, in Electromagnetic waves means, the maximum displacement or distance moved by a
point on a vibrating body or wave measured from its equilibrium position. It is equal to one-half
the length of the vibration path. ... Waves are generated by vibrating sources, their amplitude
being proportional to the amplitude of the source.
The wavelength of electromagnetic waves range from about 10^-18 m (one trillionth of a meter)
to 100 km, and frequencies range from 3 × 10^26 Hz to 3 ×10^3 Hz. Longer wavelength
electromagnetic waves have lower frequencies, and shorter wavelength waves have higher
frequencies. Higher frequency waves have more energy. The speed of a wave is a product of its
wavelength and frequency.
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Electromagnetic Wave Dependence
The shorter the wavelengths and higher the frequency corresponds with greater energy. So the
longer the wavelengths and lower the frequency results in lower energy. The energy equation is
E = hν.
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Applications of Electromagnetic Spectrum
1. Radio communications
Radio is the technology of signalling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are
electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are
generated by an electronic device called a transmitter. They are connected to an antenna that is
used to radiate the waves, and received by another antenna connected to a radio receiver. Radio
is very widely used in modern technology, in radio communication, radar, radio navigation,
remote control, remote sensing, and other applications.
In radio communication, used in radio and television broadcasting, cell phones, two-way radios,
wireless networking, and satellite communication, among numerous other uses, radio waves are
used to carry information across space from a transmitter to a receiver, by modulating the radio
signal (impressing an information signal on the radio wave by varying some aspect of the wave)
in the transmitter. In radar, used to locate and track objects like aircraft, ships, spacecraft and
missiles, a beam of radio waves emitted by a radar transmitter reflects off the target object, and
the reflected waves reveal the object's location. In radio navigation systems such as GPS and
VOR, a mobile receiver accepts radio signals from navigational radio beacons whose position is
known, and by precisely measuring the arrival time of the radio waves the receiver can calculate
its position on Earth. In wireless radio, remote control devices like drones, garage door openers,
and keyless entry systems, radio signals transmitted from a controller device control the actions
of a remote device.
Applications of radio waves that do not involve transmitting the waves at significant distances,
such as RF heating used in industrial processes and microwave ovens, and medical uses such as
diathermy and MRI machines, are not usually called radio. The noun radio is also used to mean a
broadcast radio receiver.
2. Radiation Therapy for diseases like Cancer
Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron
beams, or protons, to destroy or damage cancer cells.
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Your cells normally grow and divide to form new cells. But cancer cells grow and divide faster
than most normal cells. Radiation works by making small breaks in the DNA inside cells. These
breaks keep cancer cells from growing and dividing and cause them to die. Nearby normal cells
can also be affected by radiation, but most recover and go back to working the way they should.
While chemotherapy and other treatments that are taken by mouth or injection usually expose the
whole body to cancer-fighting drugs, radiation therapy is usually a local treatment. This means
it’s usually aimed at and affects only the part of the body needing treatment. Radiation
treatments are planned so that they damage cancer cells with as little harm as possible to nearby
healthy cells.
Some radiation treatments (systemic radiation therapy) use radioactive substances that are given
in a vein or by mouth. Even though this type of radiation does travel throughout the body, the
radioactive substance mostly collects in the area of the tumour, so there’s still little effect on the
rest of the body.
3. Remote Sensing
Remote sensing (RS), also called earth observation, refers to obtaining information about objects
or areas at the Earth’s surface without being in direct contact with the object or area. Humans
accomplish this task with aid of eyes or by the sense of smell or hearing; so, remote sensing is
the day-to-day business for people. Reading the newspaper, watching cars driving in front of you
are all remote sensing activities. Most sensing devices record information about an object by
measuring an object’s transmission of electromagnetic energy from reflecting and radiating
surfaces.
Remote sensing techniques allow taking images of the earth surface in various wavelength
regions of the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS). One of the major characteristics of a remotely
sensed image is the wavelength region it represents in the EMS. Some of the images represent
reflected solar radiation in the visible and the near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic
spectrum, others are the measurements of the energy emitted by the earth surface itself i.e. in the
thermal infrared wavelength region. The energy measured in the microwave region is the
measure of relative return from the earth’s surface, where the energy is transmitted from the
vehicle itself. This is known as active remote sensing since the energy source is provided by the
remote sensing platform. Whereas the systems where the remote sensing measurements depend
upon the external energy source, such as the sun are referred to as passive remote sensing
systems.
Stages in Remote Sensing
• Emission of electromagnetic radiation, or EMR (sun/self-emission)
• Transmission of energy from the source to the surface of the earth, as well as absorption and
scattering
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• Interaction of EMR with the earth’s surface: reflection and emission
• Transmission of energy from the surface to the remote sensor
• Sensor data output
• Data transmission, processing and anal
4. Radar
RADAR is an electromagnetic system that is used for sensing, detecting and locating the objects
present in the ambience. RADAR stands for Radio Detection and Ranging. For the first time, in
the year 1940 US Navy coined the term RADAR. This system operated by transmitting an
electromagnetic wave and detecting the reflected signal. Earlier, the RADAR was mainly
developed for detecting the existence of a target for measuring its range, so addressed as
RADAR. During the Second World War, it was first used to notify the approach of hostile
aircraft and for routing antiaircraft weapons. The modern RADAR system can be used to extract
much more information from the reflected signal and got broader applications but still, range
detection is one of its important functions.
Till now, there is no electronic system that can replace the RADAR for its accuracy and
efficiency in sensing and detection. RADAR extends the capability of sense of vision by
observing atmospheric conditions. It can observe the environmental conditions that are
impervious to human vision. It can be envisioned as an additional sensory organ to the human
eyes that can detect and locate the object beyond the reach of human eyes. Its attribute can be
seen in collecting data in the rain, snow, darkness, fog, smoke, etc. It is also used to measure the
instantaneous velocity of any object approaching or going away from the observer.
RADAR radiates either radio waves or microwave signals and receives back the reflected signal.
A most common type of waveform radiated by RADAR is the train of narrow, rectangular-
shaped pulses. In present days, the high tech RADAR has wider areas of applications, viz.
aircraft anti-collision systems, air and terrestrial traffic control, surveillance systems, air-defence
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systems, meteorological monitoring, antimissile systems, RADAR astronomy, marine RADARs
for ships, guided-missile target locating system, remote sensing, geological observations,
measurement of height and depths etc. RADAR has become a high-end security system on which
surveillance of the entire world depends and becoming more and more popular nowadays.
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Conclusion:
The electromagnetic spectrum is composed of all frequencies of electromagnetic radiation that
propagate energy and travel through space in the form of waves. Longer wavelengths with lower
frequencies make up the radio spectrum. Shorter wavelengths with higher frequencies make up
the optical spectrum.
Electromagnetic waves are used to transmit long/short/FM wavelength radio waves, and
TV/telephone/wireless signals or energies. They are also responsible for transmitting energy in
the form of microwaves, infrared radiation (IR), visible light (VIS), ultraviolet light (UV), X-
rays, and gamma rays.
The killing and destructive power of electromagnetic radiation can be used constructively for
curing incurable diseases by eradicating the disease-producing pathogens and microorganisms
like bacteria, viruses & fungi.
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Bibliography:
1. [Link] accessed on 15th December, 2021.
2. [Link] accessed on 15th December, 2021.
3. PHYSICS NCERT BOOK CLASS 11
Author:
A. W. JOSHI
Edition:
First Edition, December 2006
Published By:
National Council of Educational Research and Training, 2006
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