electromagnetic spectrum

• what type of waves are the electromagnetic (EM) waves?

  transverse waves
• what will happen when all the EM waves travel through a vacuum?

  they will all travel at the exact same speed of 3 x 10 (to the power of 8) m/s
• how do EM waves travel in different mediums?

  at different speeds (this can lead to refraction)
• what differentiates the EM spectrum?

  the wavelength an frequency
• what increases and decrease if you read the EM spectrum from left to right?

  the frequency increases and the wavelength decreases
• what part of the spectrum can human eyes detect?

  only the visible light
• what do the different wavelengths in visible light give us?


  all the colours that we can see
• what is the order of all the waves in the EM spectrum from left to right?

  radio waves, micro waves, infra red, visible light, ultra violet, x-rays, gamma rays

  Rachel Makes In Visible Unkind X-rays Great
• where do electromagnetic waves come from?

  everywhere
• what causes gamma rays?

  radioactive decay
• what causes visible light, ultraviolet and x-rays?

  when electrons drop down energy levels
• what causes infrared radiation?

  when bonds holding molecules together vibrate
• what happens when the EM waves come into contact with something in the universe?

  • reflected
  • absorbed
  • transmitted