wave behavior and electromagnetic waves

• when a wave meets a Boundary, it can be:

  • absorbed - the wave transfers energy to the material's energy stores. Often, the energy is transferred to a thermal energy store which leads to heating
  • Transmitted - the wave carries on travelling through the new material. This often leads to refraction and can be used in glasses or cameras
  • Reflected - when the incoming ray is sent back by the material. This is how echoes are created
• spectrum of EM waves

  • All EM waves can travel through a vacuum
  • They travel at different speeds in different materials
  • we group them based on their wavelength and frequency.
• EM spectrum

  long wavelength, low frequency

  Radio waves

  Micro waves

  Infrared

  visible light

  ultraviolet

  x-rays

  Gamma Rays

  short wavelength, high frequency
• Refraction:

  • when light goes through an opticaly dense material, it bends towards the normal and the wave fronts become closer together