Chapter 2.1 Electromagnetic Radiation

Question 1

What is electromagnetic radiation?

Answer 1

• One of the ways that energy travels through space

Question 2

What are the 3 primary characteristics of waves?

Answer 2

1. wavelength
2. frequency
3. speed

Question 3

What is wavelength?

Answer 3

• Wavelength (symbolized by the lowercase Greek letter lambda, l) is the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs in a wave, as shown in Fig. 2‑1.
• lambda

Question 4

What is frequency?

Answer 4

• is defined as the number of waves (cycles) per second that pass a given point in space.
• (symbolized by the lowercase Greek letter nu, n)

**Wavelength and frequency are inversely related**

Question 5

What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?

Answer 5

• inverse relationship
• where lambda is the wavelength in meters
• nu is the frequency in cycles per second
• c is the speed of light (2.9979 x 10⁸ m/s).

Question 6

What is the speed of light?

Answer 6

• c is the speed of light (2.9979 x 10⁸ m/s).

Question 7

What is hertz?

Answer 7

• unit per second = 1/s or s^-1 = hertz (Hz)