1. Electromagnetic radiation waves
Waves are three dimensional
Waves vibrate in all planes around a center line.
The waves have high points called “crests.”
Waves also have low points called “troughs.”
The distance from one crest to the next crest is called a “wavelength.”
*The number of waves passing a given point in one second is called the “frequency.”
Wave length

2. Electomagnetic spectrum
Remember radio waves are long…and gamma rays are small
Electomagnetic spectrum
Radio-TV -Microwave- Infrared - VISIBLE -Ultraviolet -X-rays - Gamma- Cosmic

3. Radio (Longest electromagnetic waves)
Emitted by
Astronomical Objects
Radio Station Transmitters
Detected by
Ground based radio telescopes
*If you turn on a radio, it will convert the radio wave energy into sound energy.

4. Microwave Emitted by: Detected by Gas clouds collapsing into stars
Microwave Ovens
Radar Stations
Cell Phones
Detected by
Microwave Telescopes
Food (heated)
Cell phones
Radar (systems)

5. Infrared (Heat or Thermal) Are you a source of infrared? YES you are!
Emitted by
Sun and stars (Near)
TV Remote Controls
Food Warming Lights (Thermal)
*Everything at room temperature or above,=HEAT
Detected by
Infrared Cameras
TVs, VCRs,
Your skin

6. Visible Each color is a different size wave
Visible Each color is a different size wave. Red the longest & violet the shortest
Emitted by
The sun and other astronomical objects
Laser pointers
Light bulbs
Detected by
Cameras
(film or digital)
Human eyes
Plants (red light)
Telescopes
RoyG.Biv

7. Ultraviolet Sunburn / black light
He can get skin cancer!
Emitted by
Tanning booths (A)
The sun (A)
Black light bulbs (B)
UV lamps
Detected by
Space based UV detectors
UV Cameras
Flying insects (flies)

8. X-ray Emitted by Detected by Astronomical objects X-ray machines
CAT scan machines
Older televisions
Radioactive minerals
Airport luggage scanners
Detected by
Space based X-ray detectors
X-ray film
CCD detectors

9. Gamma Ray (Short electromagnetic waves but more energetic)
Emitted by
Radioactive materials
Exploding nuclear weapons
Gamma-ray bursts
Solar flares
Detected by
--Geiger counters
Gamma detectors and astronomical satellites
Medical imaging detectors

10. How big are the waves? A great question! Radio waves= (Buildings to
human size);
Microwaves
(Humans-beetles);
Infrared waves
(Eye of a needle);
Visible waves
(microscopic size)!
WOW! All the rest are the size of molecules, atoms, atomic nuclei and smaller..

11. Wave Length