Radiation Flashcards
What’s the name for waves that can travel through space?
Electromagnetic Radiation
Why are they called electromagnetic radiation waves?
They travel through electromagnetic fields, rather than matter
What is radiation?
Energy that travels in all directions
What are EM waves organized on?
Their wavelength
What’s the order of EM waves from longest wavelength to shortest?
Radio wave Micro wave Infrared Visible light Ultraviolet X-ray Gamma Ray
What is long-wave radiation?
EM radiation with wavelength over 1 micrometer
What are the examples of long-wave radiation?
Infrared, microwaves, radio waves
What are the properties of long-wave radiation?
High wavelength, and low frequency and energy
Which EM radiation has the greatest wavelength?
Radio waves
What’s radio astronomy?
The study of radio waves given off by objects in space, like planets stars and galaxies
What produces radio waves?
Lightning, humans for radio communication, radar, and tv broadcasting
What was the cosmic microwave background?
Light left over from the Big Bang. Oldest light in the universe
What is the highest energy form of long wave radiation?
Infrared
IR is the primary source of what on earth?
Thermal energy
What is IR produced by?
Stars due to nuclear fusion
What is shortwave radiation?
EM radiation with wavelength below 1 micrometer
What are shortwave properties?
High frequency and energy
Lower wave length
What are the examples of shortwave radiation
Visible light, UV light, x-rays and gamma rays
Whats the highest energy form of EM radiation
Gamma rays
What can gamma rays pierce
Atoms
How are gamma rays produced?
When atoms split or fuse to another nucleus
Occurs in stars
Man made nuclear weapons and power plants
Where do gamma rays come from
Super and hypernovae
What are X-rays ideal for?
Medical imaging and security screening
Where are X-rays produced?
Quasars and black holes
Where is UV light produced
Massive stars
What can UV rays enter
Skin cells
Can only pass through the first cell layers
What does UV light produce
Vitamin D
What can too much UV radiation result in
DNA mutation
Cancer
What’s the wavelength of visible light
400-700 nanometers
What is visible light produced by
Hot objects (Stars)
What’s the most dangerous form of radiation?
Ionizing
What does ionizing radiation do?
Separates electrons from the nucleus
What’s are the 2 common forms of ionizing radiation
X-rays and gamma rays
What does ionizing radiation cause
Burns, radiation sickness, cancer
