• Energy is transmitted as electromagnetic radiation through the space. • They consist of both electric and magnetic fields which are perpendicular to each other. • Velocity of all the electromagnetic radiation in vacuum is; 3.00 x 10⁸ m s-1 which is the velocity of light. • When is the wave length and is the frequency, the velocity of an electromagnetic wave- C = υλ. • The energy of an electromagnetic wave E = hυ (E is the energy of a photon.) where h is a constant. It is named as Planck’s constant. Planck constant = 6.624 x 10-34 J s
Arrangement of the electromagnetic radiations in the ascending order of the frequency produces the electromagnetic spectrum.
Uses of the radiations belonging to different ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum
• Radio waves : Used for communication through television and radio media.
• Radar waves : Used in naval and aeronautical security systems.
• Micro waves : Microwave ovens function due to these waves. Used in cellular phones.
• Infrared waves : Used in physiotherapy treatments. Used in sending signals by remote control devices and also in analytical work using spectroscopic methods.
• Visible waves : Vision and photography are due to waves in this range. Used in colorimetric analysis.
• Ultraviolet waves : Used for sterilization and to read confidential symbols in currency notes etc. Also used in spectroscopic analysis.
• X- rays : Used in X ray photography and in studies of the structure of crystals etc.
• γ rays : Used in the treatment of cancer.