1. *Electromagnetic Radiation
Electromagnetic radiation can be described in terms of a stream of photons. Each photon is traveling in a wave-like pattern, moving at the speed of light and carrying some amount of energy.
The only difference amongst radio waves, visible light, and gamma-rays is the amount of energy of the photons. Radio waves have photons with low energies. Microwaves have a little more energy than radio waves. Infrared has still more energy.
As we move down the chart we see visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma-rays whose photon energies gradually increase.
Gamma and Cosmic rays have the highest energy waves.

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

4. 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.

5. Television
Shorter than radio, also used to carry messages (pictures & sound) to our TV sets.
*We can sense the TV waves around us with our televisions.

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

9. Prism Power: Roy G. Biv
*What happens when light shines through prisms?

10. 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)

11. 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

12. Sources of Gamma-ray Emission
• Black holes
• Active Galaxies
• Pulsars
• Diffuse emission
• Supernova
Gamma-ray bursts
• Unidentified

13. COSMIC Rays (The highest energy waves and the deadliest)
Cosmic rays come from deep space and can pass through the Earth.

14. 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..