Electromagnetic Radiation

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 10th grade February 2008

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What is Electromagnetic Radiation?? The transfer of energy through outer free space or through a material medium in the form of electromagnetic waves. Also a vacuum is the only perfectly transparent medium.The main types of electromagnetic radiation, in order of increasing wavelength, are gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared light, microwaves, and radio waves. These and other many types of electromagnetic radiation travel at the same speed, which is the speed of light (186,282mps), but they vary in frequency and wavelength. Which means that electromagnetic waves with short wavelengths has higher energy than does radiation with long wavelengths. Electromagnetic waves consist of electromagnetic radiation wavelike properties which make this possible such as reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference. But electromagnetic radiation also exhibits particlelike properties in that its energy occurs in discrete and individual packets, or quanta. This can also be called as we all know is a photon, as when photons travel through space, they appear as continuous electromagnetic waves.

However, when photons of radiation strike a substance, they behave as if they were separate particles of energy. Also each photon has a certain amount of energy, except for gamma rays, all electromagnetic radiation is generated by the movement of electrons, negatively charged particles in the atoms of a substance. Which in that case electrons emit photons. The electromagnetic wave is made up of vibrating electric and magnetic fields regenerate to have the space for electromagnetic radiation.