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Wave Properties and Emspectrum - Crossroads Academy

Date post: 18-Feb-2022
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Light and the EM Spectrum The terms light, radiation, and electromagnetic wave can all be used to explain the same concept Light comes in many forms and it took physicists some time to realize that x-rays, visible light, radio waves, etc. are all the same phenomena Jupiter seen at different wavelengths of light
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Light and the EM Spectrum

• The terms light, radiation, and electromagnetic wave can all be used to explain the same concept

• Light comes in many forms and it took physicists some time to realize that x-rays, visible light, radio waves, etc. are all the same phenomena

Jupiter seen at different wavelengths of light

Light as a Wave• One way to think about

light is as a traveling wave

• A wave is just a disturbance in some medium (water, air, space)

• A wave travels through a medium but does not transport material

• A wave does carry energy

Wave TerminologyReview• Wavelength - distance between two like points on the wave• Amplitude - the height of the wave compared to undisturbed state• Crest –the top most part of the wave OR point that exhibits Max + displacement• Trough –the bottom most part of the wave OR point that exhibits Max -

displacement

Wave Terminology

• Period - the amount of time required for one wavelength to pass • Frequency - the number of waves passing in a given amount of time

OR cycles/sec

frequency= 1/period period =1/frequency

Wavelengths of Light - Visible• What we see as white light is

actually made up of a continuum of components

• Traditionally, we break white light into red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (ROY G BIV)

• There is actually a continuous transition of color, each with its own wavelength and frequency

Wavelengths of Light - Visible• Red light has an approximate wavelength of 7.0 x 10-7 m and a

frequency of 4.3 x 1014 Hz

• Violet light has an approximate wavelength of 4.0 x 10-7 m and a frequency of 7.5 x 1014 Hz

The full EM spectrum

The Electromagnetic Spectrum• Human eyes are only able to process information from the visible

part of the spectrum• A radio wave has a wavelength close to the scale of a football field or

large building• Gamma-rays have a wavelength close in scale to a subatomic particle

or atomic nucleus

All EM radiation travels at the speed of light! ! = 2.99 �108 "⁄#


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