The electromagnetic spectrum: Waves: Physics: GCSE (9:1)

    Cards (17)

    • Electromagnetic (EM) waves
      Transverse waves
    • What EM waves transfer
      Energy as radiation from the source of the waves to an absorber
    • What EM waves travel through
      They can travel through a vacuum
    • Speed of EM waves n a vacuum or air
      300,000,000 metres per second (m/s)
    • Electromagnetic spectrum
      A continuous spectrum of electromagnetic waves that are grouped in terms of their wavelength and their frequency
    • EM spectrum in order of increasing frequency
      Radio, microwave, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays
    • EM spectrum in order of increasing wavelength
      Gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwave and radio
    • Visible light spectrum
      Contains all the frequencies that can be detected by the human eye
    • Uses of radio waves
      Communication such as television and radio
    • Uses of microwaves
      Cooking food and for satellite communications
    • Uses of infrared
      Electrical heaters, microwave ovens, and infrared cameras which can detect people in the dark
    • Uses of visible light
      Fibre optic communications
    • Uses of ultraviolet light
      Tanning equipment, energy-efficient lamps
    • Uses of X-rays
      X-ray photos are used to help identify broken bones
    • Uses of gamma rays

      Sterilising food and medical equipment
    • (higher-tier only)
      Producing radio waves
      Radio waves can be produced by oscillations from an alternating current in electrical circuits
    • (higher-tier only)
      Absorbing radio waves

      Radio waves can themselves produce oscillations and induce an alternating current in an electrical circuit when they are absorbed