How Much Do You Know About Electromagnetic Radiation?

Look up EMR under science. It's studied in physics.

EMR deals primarily with electricity. The electric field is the first field studied here, in conjunction with another.

Electricity and magnetism come into play when discussing EMR. That's the main reason why it's called EMR.

Curiosity about magnetism has existed since the ancient times, and curiosity about electricity has been appearing since the 17th century. But it was during the 18th century when intelligent minds started to look into electromagnetic factors more closely.

It was sometime in the 1870s when a unified theory regarding electromagnetism took place. A lot of other related breakthroughs happened after that.

It was James Clerk Maxwell who first proposed and developed electromagnetism as a unified theory. He was a physicist from Scotland.

EMR is an ever-present kind of energy. Yes, it's all around us!

When the electric field and the magnetic field meet up, the two meet at right angles. That means they are 90 degrees from each other, therefore perpendicular to each other in the EM wave.

EM waves have three distinct characteristics. They are identified as the amplitude, wavelength and frequency.

EMR doesn't need to be bounced off or reflected to be felt or heard. It can travel very well through empty spaces, actually.

The crest or peak refers to the top portion curve of a wave. It's important to distinguish that from the bottom curve, in relation to other aspects of EMR.

The bottom part of a wave is called the trough. Its measurement in conjunction with the crest will be relevant when looking at certain aspects of EMR.

EMR basically travels at the speed of light. That's why light comes into play when discussing EMR.

EMR basically has a range, and it is formally known as the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum generally has about seven different regions with varying readings of frequencies and wavelengths.

To completely measure a wavelength, we have to consider the crest to crest distance. That is considered as one full cycle in terms of its regular fluctuation or oscillation.

A photon is a light particle. It's in the very essence of the electromagnetic field, and of course EMR as well.

X-rays are considered as one of the regions of the EM spectrum. It's actually X-radiation, considered as a form of EMR.

Frequency is about counting the number of waves formed in a specific time frame. The changing time variant could result in either high frequency or low frequency.

Frequency is measured via wave cycles produced per second, with the unit of measurement being the hertz. We shorten it as Hz.

Microwaves for heating up food are located within the seven EMR regions. Its specific range is versatile, though, as it could be applied to cooking needs or communication needs.

The wave-particle duality simply explains that light's given nature could possibly be both in wave form or particle form. They believed before that it's just one or the other.

Maxwell's equations were formulated to help understand EMR better, and classical electromagnetism in general. It's also the basis for electric circuits.

All kinds of broadcast media use radio waves for our entertainment pleasure. It's also used in telecommunications.

Arthur Holly Compton was responsible for identifying what is known now as the Compton effect. It's about how the photons scatter due to a charged particle, which results in decreasing its energy.

Visible light is the shortest range or region in the EM spectrum. But it's the one visible to the human eye, without any equipment to aid us.

Infrared is invisible to us in general. But if you're exposed to it and it intensifies, you can actually feel it.

VHF and UHF mean very high frequency and ultra-high frequency. Practically speaking, this applies to the kinds of TV channels a regular TV antenna could capture -- and this is what we usually call "free TV."

Gamma rays are actually useful for humans when used under great control. They have practical applications in the medical field and in photography.

Each color of the rainbow has a wavelength, and they vary from each other. This is the reason why we see different colors.

Ultraviolet light is the harmful component of the sun's rays, that's why we protect ourselves from it. But it has its good uses, too, if harnessed properly.

In wave relationships, either there is constructive interference or destructive interference. The former refers to the waves being in phase with each other, while the latter is about negating each other.

EMR's intense or not-too-intense radiation could be classified as ionizing or non-ionizing. X-rays are an example of the former while radio waves are an example of the latter.

Bioelectromagnetics experts should tell us how EMR affects us in a good way or a bad way. They study how we could be safe from these kinds of radiation ranges.

Radio bands are officially assigned by a governing body to avoid criss-crossing signals and frequencies with each other. Imagine the broadcast chaos if it weren't the case!

EMR ranges vary in effect due to how each interacts with matter. Radio waves and gamma rays, for instance, affect matter differently, much like how visible light does.