Electromagnetic Waves Flashcards
Electromagnetic waves
Waves that travel by oscillation of the electromagnetic field. Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves
Plane Polarised Wave
A transverse wave in which the oscillations are limited to only one plane
Critical Angle
The angle of incidence at the boundary between two media that will produce an angle of refraction of 90 degrees
Total internal reflection
The reflection of all light back into the original medium when hitting a boundary between two media; the original medium will have a higher refractive index and the incidence angle at the boundary must be greater than the critical angle
Radiowave order
> 10^5
Microwave order
10^-1 - 10^-3
IR order
10^-3 - 780nm
Visible light order
780nm - 390nm
UV order
390nm - 10^-8
X-ray order
10^-8 - 10^-12
Gamma order
<10^-12
