Part A Give an approximate range of wavelengths for each type of electromagnetic
ID: 1003466 • Letter: P
Question
Part A
Give an approximate range of wavelengths for each type of electromagnetic radiation.
Drag the terms on the left to the appropriate blanks on the right.
ultraviolet radiation
radio waves
microwave radiation
gamma rays
X-rays
visible light
infrared radiation
1. 1fm to 10pm - .
2. 10pm to 10nm - .
3. 10nm to 400nm - .
4. 400nm to 750nm -
5. 750nm to 1mm - .
6. 1mm to 0.1m - .
7. 0.1m to 100km - .
Part B
Summarize the characteristics and/or the uses of each.
Essay answers are limited to about 500 words (3800 characters maximum, including spaces).
ultraviolet radiation
radio waves
microwave radiation
gamma rays
X-rays
visible light
infrared radiation
1. 1fm to 10pm - .
2. 10pm to 10nm - .
3. 10nm to 400nm - .
4. 400nm to 750nm -
5. 750nm to 1mm - .
6. 1mm to 0.1m - .
7. 0.1m to 100km - .
Explanation / Answer
Hi, the ranges are:
1. 1fm to 10pm - Gamma rays
2. 10pm to 10nm - X-rays
3. 10nm to 400nm - UV rays
4. 400nm to 750nm - Visible
5. 750nm to 1mm - Infrared
6. 1mm to 0.1m - Microwaves
7. 0.1m to 100km - Radiowaves
Here is the essay response:
Gamma-rays are very high energy electromagnetic radiations emitted during nuclear fission reactions and they are very penetrating. These have very high energy and they can readily break chemical bonds. Based on this property they are very dangerous for human health and can break DNA molecules inside the cells. They are used to kill bacteria and sanitize objects like surgical instruments. Gamma rays are also used to treat some types of cancer.
X-rays are also short wavelength radiation and very penetrating but unlike gamma-rays they are not emitted by the nucleus but by the electrons outside the nucleus. Most common application includes producing X-ray films which is able to picture bones and some internal organs as well.
Ultraviolet radiations are high energy radiations and they are emitted by excited electrons when they return to their ground states. They are also harmful to human health. UV rays can produce tanning of skin and sunscreens are usually required to avoid this effect. They find many applications such a visualizing blood in forensic science to curing photopolymers and even killing germs in potable water.
Visible light helps us to see. Screens like monitors and LCDs emit visible light that produces images and text and helps us to read the output from a computer or cell phone.
Infrared radiation is longer wavelength that visible and has less energy. Infrared radiation is actually responsible for the greenhouse effect as it is the energy which is trapped by the greenhouse gases and it eventually heats up the earth. Infrared has many uses such as night vision which helps us to see objects in the absence of visible light. Infrared radiations are also used in heating applications where some substance or object is heated by irradiation with infrared rays. They have also been used in the past for communication systems for data transfer. Remote controls are also based on infrared transmission.
Microwaves are even lower energy than infrared and are often associated with rotational levels of molecules. An important application of these is the microwave oven which irradiates food with microwave radiation. Food contains water, which heats up as a result of microwave irradiation and finally it heats up the food in which it is present.
Radio waves are very long wavelength electromagnetic radiations and the most remarkable application is the MRI or magnetic resonance imaging. MRI uses a very powerful magnet in which a living subject is placed and then a pulse of radio waves excites the nuclei of molecules and through a complex transformation and processing of data we are actually able to see the internal organs through MRI. Radio waves have traditionally been used for communication and in fact, they are still used for cell phone communications, voice transmission and television broadcasting.