Gamma rays, X-rays, UV rays, visible light,
infra-red rays, microwaves and radiowaves make up the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Electromagnetic waves have great differences
in wavelength and frequency, but they:
– are all produced when atoms or electrons lose energy;
– are all transverse waves;
– all transfer energy as vibrating electric and magnetic
fields;
– can all be reflected, refracted and diffracted;
– all travel in a vacuum at a speed of
– have greater energy as their wavelength gets shorter
and their frequency increases;
– penetrate (travel through) materials more easily
as their wavelength gets shorter.
