P5.2 Flashcards
What are electromagnetic waves?
They are transverse waves that are transmitted through space where all have the same velocity. They donβt need particles to travel.
What do electromagnetic waves consist of?
They consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. The fields are oscillating in a direction at 90 degrees to the direction of the wave. They are made of photons that travel through space until they interact with matter (some absorbed and some reflected)
What is the EM spectrum
Itβs a continuous range of all possible frequency/ wavelength of EM radiation
Name the EM waves from the lowest to highest frequency/energy
- radio waves
- microwaves
- infrared waves (IR)
- visible light (red to violet)
- ultraviolet (UV)
- X-rays
- gamma rays
Rock Music Is Very Useful for eXperiments with Goats
What is the amplitude of an EM radiation the measure of?
Itβs the measure of the light intensity (how much energy is arriving in a given time over a given area) (NOT ENERGY)
What does the frequency and wavelength of the light wave determine
Itβs determines what colour of light wave it is
What do electromagnetic waves travel through and at what speed.
They travel through a vacuum at 3.0 x 10^8 m/s or 300,000,000 m/s
This is also the speed of light at light is part of the EM spectrum
What are sources and give some examples
Sources (such as the sun or microwave oven) emit EM waves
What do EM waves transfer?
EM waves transfer energy as radiation from sources to absorbers
Some waves like microwaves sent to satellites transfer information
How can you calculate wavelength?
Wavelength (m) = wave speed (m/s) / frequency (Hz)
What happens to the wavelength as you go from red to blue
Red = longest Blue = shortest
What is the spectrum like for white
Itβs continuous
Itβs part of a wider spectrum called the EM spectrum
What does is means by different waves in the spectrum
It means that there are different bands of frequencies called waves
Name the EM waves from the shortest to the longest wavelength
- gamma rays
- X-rays
- ultraviolet (UV)
- visible light (red to violet)
- infrared (IR)
- microwaves
- radio waves
How do you produce and detect radio waves?
They can be produced by or themselves induce, oscillations in electrical circuits. An oscillating p.d a across a wire makes the e- move back and forth, producing a changing electric and magnetic field which is emitted as a radio wave. When the fields field meet another piece of metal (e.g aerial) then the e- move producing an electrical signal
How are EM waves produced
They are made by the movement of the e- in the atoms. This happens by vibrating charged particles which create an oscillation electrostatic field, which create an oscillating magnetic field and transfer electromagnetic energy
Why can our eyes only detect a limited range of the EM spectrum
Our eyes are only sensitive to a narrow range of frequencies called visible light, which is NOT absorbed by the atmosphere
Why can EM waves travel through a vacuum but sound waves canβt?
Sound waves need particles to vibrate to transfer energy but EM waves donβt ( they travel via oscillating electrostatic and magnetic fields)
How can waving a charged balloon produce a radio wave
When you wave the ballon to give rise to charged particles oscillating at a given frequency. These charged electrons have electrostatic fields around them and oscillating the balloon produces oscillating electrostatic fields. Oscillating electrostatic feels produce a magnetic field and the frequency of oscillation is low enough to match that of a radio wave
How much is a nanometer in meters
10^-9 m
How are sound/ mechanical waves created?
They are created by vibration particles which collide with neighbouring particles and transfer kinetic energy.
Which electromagnetic waves are used for communication and how?
- microwaves are used to communicate with satellites, for Wifi and Bluetooth systems
- radio waves are used in radio and TV by adding sound and picture information to radio waves
- Infrared is used in remote controls and optical wastes
- visible light is used between ships to communicate
How does the microwaves oven heat up food?
The water and the fat in food absorb the microwaves and it can penetrate a few cm into the food. This heats up the inside of the food and then energy is transferred to the middle by conduction.(Faster than ovens/grills)
How do grills/ovens cook food?
Infrared radiation cooks food in a grill or an oven. Infrared from radiation is absorbed by the particles on the surface of the food and they can heat food up by transferring energy to a thermal store. (Slower than microwaves)